In Sheryl Brakey’s home office hangs a Rand McNally World Map with a blaze of small orange dots—each denoting her worldwide travels, from the Seven Seas to Tibet.

Along the way, this Fair Oaks Ranch resident fused a passion for filming and journaling her travels with lifelong interest in biology and technology. “From the very beginning, people loved my videos, and I began to realize I had a knack for editing,” says Brakey, who took up the skill later in life, after a trip with her husband to China, Nepal and Tibet. She formed SJB Productions, specializing in educational undersea films and international travelogues available on video and DVD.