Her grandmother, Frances TenBrook was a leader in the Fort Lauderdale women's suffrage movement.
She married George Fenwick Young, who was the owner of a successful construction business and served as president of the Fort Lauderdale Woman's Club from 1944 to 1946.
She successfully ran for a seat on the School Board the following year, and served as a member until 1966, including two one-year terms as Chairwoman (1961 and 1965).
She was often at odds with the other members of the Authority, as she was concerned with the preservation of historic buildings in the city's downtown area.
Virginia Shuman Young Elementary School opened just blocks from downtown Fort Lauderdale in August, 1994.