After college Rodney served in the Air Force, then worked as an engineer, and then as a high school teacher. As a high school teacher in Texas, Rodney coached student teams to regional championships in Academic Decathlon, and to state championships in Science. In 2010 Rodney was named the MIT High School Inspirational Teacher of the Year. In 2011, Rodney was selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by the National Society of High School Scholars.