Shellby Johnson-Rodney is my absolute best friend in the whole world, godmother of my daughter, and the most ambitious, smartest, and persevering person I know. We met in 8th grade honors english class and I have loved and admired since. I pray that everyone can experience a sister like her in their lifetime. Shellby was born in Atlanta, GA and spent most of her childhood being raised on the southside of metro Atlanta by two loving and hardworking parents. However, it was a spontaneous, albeit brief, move to Los Angeles by her mother at the age of nine that would impact her life choices more than she could ever imagine. Experiences she had there and beyond, both joyful and challenging, led her to be the person she is today.
That experience nurtured Shellby’s natural affinity for the environment and she now has a career in ocean science and science communication. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Miami ( Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science) and the University of California, Santa Barbara (Bren School of Environmental Science and Management) respectively. Currently, she works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)in the office of Ocean Exploration where she helps to communicate the importance of our ocean and connect with local communities around the world about deep ocean science and exploration.
On a more personal note, Shellby lost both parents before graduating high school, but still carries the important lessons and memories from her mom and dad with her everyday. Many of those lessons helped her decide the type of wife she wanted to be and the type of man she wanted to marry. She has been married for almost four years, but has been with her now husband for almost 12 years. In this season of wifehood, Shellby has learned the true importance of building genuine friendship in a marriage, not just a romantic relationship, as well as showing up for your partner in ways that resonate the most for them, which may not always equate to how you like to show up or give love. These two things have truly been key to having a healthy and thriving marriage.
You can follow Shellby’s socials on her personal IG, @shellby_j & @the.motherless.millennial, a page
dedicated to sharing her stories and lessons around grief and inspiring those dealing with grief to
grow through it and curate the best life they possibly can in spite of that reality.
