Lacrosse
Favorite athlete: Chase Utley
Favorite team: Phillies
Favorite memory competing in sports: My freshman year, our team’s senior night game was played entirely in the rain and mud, but we had so much fun.
Most embarrassing/funniest things that has happened while competing in sports: My first game as goalie, I accidently scored on myself!
Music on iPod: I listen to a lot of different music, but my favorite type to listen to is artists like John Mayer, Sara Bareilles and Jason Mraz.
Future plans: I am planning to attend Temple next year. I will be majoring in Speech Pathology with a minor in Pyschology.
Words to live by: ‘Life is 10 percent of what happens to you and 90 percent of how you react to it.’
One goal before turning 30: Travel the world
One thing people don’t know about me: I really want to learn how to play the guitar.
By Alex Frazier
If Emma Joyce isn’t interacting with other people, she’s probably asleep.
And even then, she’s more than likely to be dreaming of them.
As she readily admits, “I’m a big people person. I love meeting people and hanging out with people. It’s a big part of the things I do.”
That becomes obvious once you’ve explored her many interests.
Music has consumed a large part of her life ever since she started singing 13 years ago in her church choir. She just recently returned from a weekend of singing in Washington DC. Her group sings in nursing homes, churches and pediatric hospitals.
“We mix mission with singing,” she said.
She has also sung in the school musical for the past four years, This year she helped co-produce Music Man.
“I love the whole idea of putting on a show, being able to act and the costumes and the singing, and of course the people, which is a big reason I do the musical,” she said.
And when she isn’t singing, she picks up the flute or piccolo and plays in the high school marching band.
This year she served on the band’s executive council as secretary.
“Singing is more actually what I love to do,” she said. “Marching band ended up being a great group of people so I kept coming back. Music has always been a passion of mine.”
Another love of hers is lacrosse. After playing softball for six or seven years, she started lacrosse in middle school. When she arrived in high school, her mother made her choose a sport and she picked lacrosse.
“I miss softball,” she said, “but I love lacrosse.”
As a freshman she made varsity as a defender. But the following year the starting goalie was injured, and Joyce volunteered to replace her, even though she had never played the position.
“I pretty much said, ‘I’m not afraid the of the ball. I guess I’ll do it,’” she said. “I became the goalie after that.”
Since Upper Moreland had no goalie coach, Joyce had to teach herself.
“It was kind of hard,” she said. “It was kind of fun, just to try something new. At the beginning I got to play goalie and field.”
She did that for the rest of her sophomore year and the beginning of her junior year until she took over in the cage full time.
“I did miss being on the field,” she said, “but now I feel it’s almost beneficial being goalie after playing field for so many years because I can help my team a lot more.”
This year Upper Moreland has three goalies, and Joyce finds herself playing more jayvee than varsity. A lot of seniors would be bitter about that.
Not Joyce.
Because she’s such a people person, she gets the bigger picture.
“It was a little hard getting used to that,” she said. “But I love my other goalie girls. I was happy to have one of them play varsity. But at the same time I was a senior and I had mixed emotions. I trust my coaches. They do what’s best for the team. I’m happy for any playing time I can get.”
“I have never seen another student so supportive of the underclassmen that ‘took’ her spot on the field,” said Upper Moreland coach Karen Grossi. “Emma just wants to play, so she's happy to play jayvee, despite the fact that she's a senior. All three of the goalies are very close. I don’t think there’s jealousy there. They all cheer each other on”
It’s no surprise that she is a co-captain. As Grossi said, “That was an easy decision. She’s a nice leader on the field and her attitude on the field is just wonderful. She’s very positive and cheers everyone on. She wants everyone to do their best.”
“I was really happy to be team captain this year,” said Joyce. “I love to be in a leadership position and help my team. It is an honor to be captain.”
Joyce’s leadership skills are also evident in the many other activities she’s involved in.
She is co-president of the Key Club, the school’s largest organization.
“It’s really a passion of mine,” she said. “I love everything it stands for. It’s also fun. There are a lot of service projects we get to do. And you get to meet different people.”
Service is another of Joyce’s passions. Aside from the many service projects of the Key Club, she is also a member of the Bear Buddies, a group that meets every other month to chaperone special needs students on field trips. It was originally started by the Key Club advisor.
“It’s kind of socialization for them with people that don’t have special needs,” she said. “We love doing it. All the kids are so sweet.”
In fact, it was her association with this group that sparked her interest in special education.
At school she is also secretary of the student council and a member of the Environmental Club, which is responsible for making sure recycling bins around the school are emptied.
“It’s a good thing to do,” she said.
While being involved with so many organizations, Joyce has still managed to maintain high standards in the classroom.
She ranks in the top 10 percent of her class and carries a 3.85 grade point average. This year she is taking four advanced placement courses in government, physics, statistics and English.
And to no one’s surprise, part of her motivation was the students in the courses.
“They’re mostly juniors and seniors, so it’s like all of my friends,” she said. “We work through everything together. Most of the teachers I’ve had before so all of my teachers I really love, which makes the class more fun.”
It’s fairly amazing not only that Joyce manages to do all she does, but to also excel at everything she does.
“I love everything I do so there’s nothing I would want to drop, so I just find a way to do everything,” she said. “I wouldn’t trade one for another.”
Naturally conflicts arise.
“Sometimes I have to pick and choose, but that comes with the territory,” she said. “I’d rather have to miss something of one thing than not do it at all. I do have to give and take.”
Next year she will be going to Temple, which she chose over Delaware, LaSalle, Duquesne, William and Mary and Penn State.
Her choice came down to Temple and Delaware, but being an out-of-stater, Delaware became prohibitively expensive.
Temple, however, had a number of positives.
“I love the city,” she said. “There’s something about being in a city. That was a big deal.”
At first she thought Temple might be too close to home, but then she decided that was a positive.
“I’m also close to my family and it’s in a setting where I can feel like I’m in a different place when I am away at college, but then I can take the train home when I need to,” she explained.
She was also drawn to Temple’s study abroad program.
“That’s one of the things I’m most excited about,” she said.
Though she won’t go out for varsity lacrosse, she is definitely considering club or intramural.
She plans on majoring in speech pathology. Originally, she was considering special ed, but speech pathology will give her more options.
“It provides the opportunity for me to work with special ed kids, but I can also work with kids that stutter or I can work with the elderly or people who have had strokes,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. Now I can get to teach and not pick one thing.”
Joyce is looking forward to starting college next year.
And would it surprise you to know why?
“I’ll get to meet new people.”
