January 30, 2007
Former Lady Lion Hazel Joseph has overcome adversity both on the court and in the classroom. As a forward for the women's basketball team, Joseph persevered to graduate in December 2005 with a degree in journalism and a minor in kinesiology, despite having five knee surgeries and a learning disability.
Joseph was diagnosed with the learning disability in the third grade when her mother Alma, a middle school English teacher, noticed that despite doing well in school, her daughter was having difficulty reading. After consulting with several specialists, Joseph was diagnosed with a reading comprehension disability.
With the help of her parents and tutors, Joseph was able to excel in school, as well as on the basketball court. She was recruited in high school by several prestigious universities, including Notre Dame, all hoping to have her play basketball. Ultimately, the Choctaw, Oklahoma native chose Penn State because of its reputation for strong academics and emphasis on success in classroom.
"I wanted to go to a school where the accommodations for students with disabilities were up to par," Joseph says. "The Academic Support Center was definitely one of the biggest reasons I came to Penn State."
As a member of the Lady Lions, Joseph started in 17 games in the 2002-03 season and posted a 64.1% field goal percentage (41-64). Additionally, she was selected to receive the Lady Lion Jeanette Goss Award for outstanding courage in overcoming adversity. Joseph was also a member of the 2003-04 Lady Lions team that won the Big Ten Championship and reached the NCAA Elite Eight.
When not playing basketball, Joseph spent most of her time at the Morgan Academic Support Center for student-athletes, studying under the supervision of the women's basketball advisor, Sue Sherburne.
"Hazel is impressive because she committed as much energy to getting her degree as she did on the basketball court. She recognizes that she learns differently than others, and she does what works best for her," says Sherburne.
Joseph's advice for the entire Penn State's student body is to use the resources available for all students in order to be successful. |
Joseph's advice for the entire Penn State's student body is to use the resources available for all students in order to be successful. Located in the Bank of America Center (formerly MBNA), the Morgan Center assists student-athletes in developing academic and career goals, provides study halls, tutoring and workshops. In addition to these resources, the library also scanned all of Joseph's textbooks onto the computer and put them on an audio disc, so that she could read and hear her lessons at the same time. When traveling to away games, Joseph was given a laptop to use so she would not fall behind in classes.
Joseph estimates that she had tutors at the Center for three out of the five classes she took each semester. She also attended study hall at least 10 hours per week for three full years even though student-athletes are only required to complete one year. Joseph credits her mentor with helping her achieve academic success.
"Sue Sherburne has been my biggest supporter, even now that I've graduated," says Joseph.
The first of the three children in her family to graduate from college, Joseph recalls feeling proud on graduation day "because my parents were excited."
Post-graduation, Joseph moved to New Jersey and accepted a job with the NBA as a production assistant.
"I know what I can and cannot do, and I don't dwell on the things that I can't. It's important to be comfortable with being diagnosed with a learning disability, because there is a lot of negative stigma attached," Joseph says.
Joseph's advice to other student-athletes: "Penn State has the resources to help student-athletes with learning disabilities; it is up to you to use them."