Shirley was an active member of many clubs during all 5 of her years at Uni. She enjoyed music and dancing as she joined clubs ranging from Cowboy Dancing, Music Appreciation, and the Girl Scouts. She was a natural leader and was elected to the student council.
After graduating she attended Nursing School. After which she moved to Colorado in order to work at a hospital. Just 10 years after graduating she used her nursing skills in the Air Force where she was later deployed to the Vietnam War where she became a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Nurse Corps. During the Vietnam War, she received the nickname "Shirley J from Cam Rahn Bay". In 1972 Shirley J. Roberts retired from Air Force. She then moved back to Colorado and worked specializing in mental health, and supported local charities.