In the small Alabama town where she grew up, Joy McCorvey
discovered the value of teaching by watching her mother. A special
education teacher at the local high school, Mrs. McCorvey earned
the affection of current and former students — an achievement that
still impresses Joy, a member of St. John’s President’s Society,
the top honor society at the University.
“Even today,” Joy said, “my mother’s former students come
back to talk about how glad they are to have listened to her. It
shows you the difference you can make in someone’s life.”
Today, Joy is preparing to make her own impact on other lives — and
St. John’s University is helping her to achieve her goal. A special
education major at St. John’s, Joy is gaining the skills,
experience and confidence to become a teacher. Yet she is doing
something more as well: thanks to St. John’s focus on service, Joy
has become a leader by helping people in need even before she
graduates.
“St. John’s gives everyone lots of ways to serve others,” said Joy.
“It’s one of the University’s special features, a meaningful way to
help you grow as a person.”
Cherishing Every Opportunity
Though every student at St. John’s gains leadership skills through
service, Joy has had even more opportunities to make a difference
as a student athlete on the women’s basketball team.
For example, Joy and her teammates have volunteered at Ronald
McDonald House, which provides temporary lodging for families of
children receiving treatment for cancer. She also has devoted time
to the University’s midnight runs, giving out sandwiches, soup and
hot coffee to homeless people on the streets of Manhattan.
“It’s eye-opening,” said Joy. “They tell you their stories, the
things that happened to bring them to that point in their lives.
You really learn not to take anything for granted.”
St. John’s location in New York City is eye-opening in other ways
as well, said Joy. “I remember the first time I took the subway
with some of my teammates. We went to Chinatown, 42nd street. For
someone from a small town like mine, it was amazing to see all
those lights and people.”
New York plays a big part in every St. John’s student’s success,
Joy added. “You can’t beat the resources you have here,” she
explained. “One minute you’re on the Queens campus, with the Great
Lawn, the trees, the family feeling. Then you take a short subway
ride to Manhattan and there’s Broadway, museums, the whole New York
experience.”
A Perfect Combination
Joy’s first became interested in St. John’s thanks to one of her
teachers at T.R. Miller High School in Brewton, AL. “It was a young
teacher who just graduated from St. John’s. Whenever we talked
about college, this teacher raved about it.”
To Joy, St. John’s seemed like the perfect combination of academic
excellence and athletic tradition. In high school, she
distinguished herself as a scholar-athlete, excelling in English
and math as well as sports. “St. John’s was a natural choice for
me,” she said.
Joy began playing varsity basketball in the eighth grade; that
year, her team won the local championship and Joy made the
All-Tournament Team. She was named MVP in basketball from her
sophomore through senior year in high school. She also received MVP
honors in track.
At St. John’s, Joy continues to excel in academics and athletics. A
small forward, she serves as co-captain of the women’s basketball
team. An outstanding student with many scholarly interests, Joy
considered majoring in business or counseling before switching to
childhood education.
Joy particularly praised two professors, Helen and Mark Levy, who
“team-taught” a course on math and science education. “The class
was fantastic,” said Joy. “They provided amazing strategies for
teaching math and science to children. They were always available
to help you, in and out of class. They represented everything good
about The School of Education — and St. John’s.”
The School of Education also provided Joy with opportunities to
assist teachers at two public schools in Queens—P.S./I.S. 268 and
P.S. 44. “With everything I’ve learned, I feel totally
well-prepared to step into the classroom,” said Joy. “I’m looking
forward to being a teacher, to making a difference in people’s
lives the way my mother has.”