Ferris women's basketball coach Tracey Fisk keeps a cool head on the courts. But when she learned that Veronica Joseph, the spectacular sharp-shooter from the Caribbean Island of Antigua, was transferring to Ferris State University this fall, she couldn't contain her enthusiasm.
"At first, I didn't believe she was coming here," recalls an incredulous Fisk. "She's awesome! I didn't think we'd have a chance to get her!"
Joseph is as dazzling on the court as the famous Antigua beaches on which she grew up. She had her choice of where to play college basketball. After turning heads of college recruiters everywhere, the introverted, publicity-shy Joseph gave Ferris the nod as to where she'll play and study computer information systems on an athletic scholarship. "I liked the coach," explains Joseph. "She's excellent. And I like the Ferris campus and the program."

Impressive Credentials
In 1996, Joseph was nominated for Antigua's Athlete of the Year Award after playing on that country's championship basketball and volleyball teams. For the next year, she won a scholarship at a junior college in Iowa and scored big again. Last year, she led the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II for impressively hitting 59 percent of her field goal shots.

Now, the 32-year-old star is hoping to win at Ferris her own personal and elusive Big Victory, a goal she has pursued for a lifetime - a college degree from America and a promising future.

Breaking Out of Bounds
Joseph's rise to stardom has not been a walk on the beach, despite the sun-and-sea attractions in her hometown of St. John's, population 29,000 and Antigua's capital.

While her father worked in San Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, her mother stayed with their seven children in Antigua, raising them on her income as a grocery store clerk. The family had no indoor plumbing and lived in a modest four-bedroom home with a black-and-white television set.

Still, Joseph remembers it as a loving family. "Raising seven children by herself was not easy," recalls Joseph. "But every morning, we prayed together, and that kept our family going. Life was simple. Your neighbors took care of you, and you took care of your neighbors. Our family played a lot together, and we had a lot of love in the home, so that made up for things. The focus at home was education." Even today, she says, "I don't go out much. I stay home and read. I read almost everything - even comics."

When Joseph was 14, her father died; two years later, her mother passed away. Somehow, the siblings – all but one of them older than Joseph – managed to pull together. A dedicated student, Joseph graduated from high school in 1987. "I always wanted to be the best at something, and school seemed to be it," recalls Joseph. "But females (then) didn't have the opportunity to play basketball on scholarships in the states where schools are among the best in the world," she says. In Antigua, where studies are limited, "you can't learn about computers."

She turned her attention instead to teaching others how to play basketball and volleyball and perfecting her own athletic skills on the court.

But soon, "I started to dream," she quietly recalls. For 10 years, she wondered if someday her athletic skills could earn her a scholarship.

A New Court
Indeed, they have. In 1997, she earned a basketball scholarship to attend Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Even though she had to overcome cultural differences, play basketball, and, Fisk says, took on a "tough schedule with a lot of credits," Joseph earned a respectable 2.9 GPA.

Now, with junior eligibility at FSU, the 6-foot-tall post player is hoping her experience, maturity and incredible jumping skills will help propel the Bulldogs to new heights. She's also hoping to firm up her career path.
"I don't know what I want to be when I grow up," Joseph said with a laugh during a telephone interview last summer from Iowa. She was in the midst of packing her bags for her first trip back home in two years. She was anxious to see her family and was hoping her month-long stay would help her resolve that question.

"I'm trying different things. I'm studying computers now because my country needs that. But when I go home, I'll know what my need is to help there."

Her caring attitude extends to her teammates, too. "I don't mind that I am a lot older than my teammates," she said. "One of my jobs is to help them be better. I hope they will look up to me."

Meanwhile, Fisk is fired up about her recruit. "She's going to add so such much to our program."

Now it's FSU's turn to dream–of a winning season!