Stuti Gokhale
Max’s ‘Bama Rush’ is a thought-provoking documentary that delves into the famous Rush Week at The University of Alabama that determines who makes the cut to join one of the many prestigious sororities on campus and focuses on all the excitement and apprehensions surrounding it. The Rachel Fleit directorial highlights the stories and struggles of four sorority aspirants from diverse backgrounds, sparking conversations about mental health, body image, and inclusion. This includes Shelby Rose, a talented freshman who participated in the sorority rush in 2022.
Who is Shelby Rose?
A resident of Quincy, Illinois, Shelby Rose shared that she was adopted by her parents, Mark and Melissa Rose, when she was just 4-days-old. However, she was unaware of this till much later in life, and the revelation deeply impacted her mental health. Nevertheless, Shelby was involved in numerous co-curricular activities from her early years and began participating in various races and competitions. Apart from winning accolades as a talented dancer in regional events, she is also one of the most successful drivers in the history of the Quincy Soap Box Derby.
In 2018, a friend suggested Shelby try her luck in beauty pageants, leading the Quincy native to be crowned Quincy Miss Teen thrice in 2018, 2021, and 2022. On top of it, she was on the cheerleading squad at the Quincy Senior High School, from where she graduated in May 2022. Shelby was eager to attend The University of Alabama since she was a little girl. Hence, she was elated when accepted into the prestigious institution in October 2021. Interestingly, Shelby is also the first in her family to attend a complete four-year college program.
Shelby shared that she began participating in the documentary while preparing to leave for college in May 2022. The teenager further revealed that she was excited to participate in Rush Week as she wanted to get into the top sorority. Shelby felt that the sorority lifestyle at The University of Alabama aligned with her values and would be ideal for her to achieve her goals. On the other hand, she divulged how she began feeling lost when she discovered she was adopted and had been seeking help for anxiety and depression since she was thirteen.
Thus, Shelby hoped being a sorority member would give her a sense of belonging and identity. Yet, things became complicated when rumors circulated that the documentary violated privacy and showed the university and sororities in a bad light. Fearing for her reputation, Shelby quit the documentary and decided to focus on her preparations for Rush Week.
Shelby Rose is Focusing on Her College Life Today
After she cut ties with the documentary, Shelby Rose was eventually accepted into the Phi Mu sorority. Not just that, she was crowned Miss Quincy in January 2023, receiving a $3,000 college scholarship and prizes worth thousands of dollars. As per reports, Shelly has been utilizing the monetary rewards to expand her work with Fostering Hope Quincy, a nonprofit she founded to help foster kids and families in Illinois. Through the organization, she organizes fundraisers, donation drives, and raffle events to raise awareness about foster care.
Besides, Shelly is pretty popular in her sorority and is a member of the university’s Student Recruitment Team. Currently, she is pursuing a major in public relations and a minor in digital content engagement, aiming to graduate in 2026. Meanwhile, Shelby has worked as a Sales Associate with Tanning Unlimited since March 2022. In addition, she is extremely popular on TikTok and even took to the video-sharing platform in May 2023 to express her views about the documentary.
“They reached out to me when I was a senior in high school before Rush Week and before I even blew up on TikTok. I started filming with them, and all of my stuff I filmed with them was very positive because I was told that this was very different than what it ended up becoming,” said Shelby. She added, “I did not film with them once during the rush week because what they were doing did not align with my morals and values, and it made me very uncomfortable.” Nonetheless, Shelby is focused on her college life and loves spending time with her loved ones, including her boyfriend.
Read More: Hailey Holliday: Where is the Alabama Student Now?
