Joy started out in 4-H as a youth involved in dairy, animal husbandry, and practical homemaking things.  Along the way, as she matured she was drawn to leadership and public speaking doing talent shows at first, then held elected office, did club management and community projects, teen leadership, fundraisers and grange hall events.  By the time she graduated high school she had travelled all over the state doing cattle judging, showmanship and had travelled to Washington DC for a 4-H Teen Leadership Citizen Shortcourse.

At that conference, touring the Smithsonian, and Capital Hill, she learned much.  Three most memorable things stood out that influenced Joy’s life – the stories of the elder, white haired speakers who taught wisdom – and it demonstrates that the impact of leaders on youth is forever.  Joy has been thinking for herself ever since.  

“WWPT – What will people think?”
This was a message from a “little old lady who was ferocious, who blew into the room, shouting “WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK?  WHAT will people think? What WILL people think?  What will PEOPLE think? What will people THINK?”  She paused and said calmly, “Most people waste their lives being controlled by that one question, and they never have fun discovering the world.  Get over it.  People are so busy thinking about what people will think about them, they never waste time thinking about you.”    

In the 70’s as Joy was in college, she was exploring a career in government and/or police work and decided not to do it at that time – it didn’t fit into her life then.  She had no real idea that she would come back to it in 50 years later.

She was just listening to her career guidance…. given to her when she was a pre-teen, at the Citizenship Shortcourse, when he said, “They always pressure you in High School that you need to know what you want to be when you grow up.  I disagree.  Relax…how many years is a long life?  60 to 80 years?  How many years does it take to be an expert in a given career?  10 years maybe?  Think about that…between now and the time you are 80 you can have about 6 careers.  So don’t sweat it.  Enjoy growing up – go do all kinds of things when you graduate, and explore all kinds of professions before you settle down into any given career.  Remember, you cal always change your focus after 10 years.”

This video is Joy’s Opening remarks that came from the Local Jail Reform Now Panel where Joy discusses her experience of finding out how the entire Justice System is riddled with misconceptions, leaving the voters and people involved in the system confused and vulnerable to be preyed upon by the people who sells the building of jails as their job.