But right now the 17-year-old Bermuda Institute student is focusing on graduating from high school and furthering her musical studies at an art school.

And Joy, who was a nominee for the Teen Service Leadership Award, will practise her leadership skills this year as the Student Association President at Bermuda Institute.

She is in the 12th grade at the Seventh Day Adventist School in Southampton and says her favourite class is English.

After school, Joy says she likes to watch the "guys'' (at school) play soccer.

Describing herself as an outgoing person, Joy says: "I try my best to make people laugh.'' Joy has two older sisters, Kim and Ruth.

Her favourite food is cold hot dogs and she likes to listen to a wide variety of music including Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi, Shaggy, and Boyz II Men.

Her favourite television shows are the half-hour sitcoms Ellen, Martin, and Friends.

One of Joy's favourite movies is Panther.

"I think the reason for the (Black) Panthers existence, which was to get equal representation, was important,'' she says. "They took California's law to the extreme.'' Joy adds that she would have liked to have met Huey Newton -- who was the leader of the Panthers -- so that she could have talked to him about the Panthers cause.

She says she would also like to meet actors Keanu Reeves and Denzel Washington.

"I would also like to meet Madonna and find out how she gets away with everything she does,'' Joy says.

If given an open plane ticket to anywhere in the world, Joy says she would go to Huntsville, Alabama, to visit her sister and best friend who are in college there.

An avid reader, Joy suggests libraries and bookstores should have more books which are geared towards teenagers.

She also believes that meeting places for teens, such as skating rinks, would be a good investment for Bermuda.

Joy says she believes that Bermuda is geared too much toward the tourist.

"We have to live in Bermuda for 365 days of the year and there isn't much for us to do,'' she says, adding that there needs to be more activities for the youth.

"There are a lot of things around for children and adults but not for the youth,'' Joy says.

Bermuda also needs to cut down on activities which include drinking, especially where youth are concerned, the teenager also believes.

"There are cruises which are open to teenagers even though alcoholic beverages are being served,'' Joy notes. "There needs to be other things for the youth to do.'' She says that next to singing with Whitney Houston, her biggest wishes are to graduate from college, have six children, and "to have people to love me just because I'm me''.

INTERVIEW BY KRISTY WARREN JOY BARNUM