One of Grenada’s top students in the 2019 CXC exams, 18-year old Ronaldo Joseph is planning to pursue a career as a professional footballer in the United States.
Joseph was among the top batch of local students who were recognised Thursday at a ceremony held at the UWI Open House Campus of Marryshow House on H.A Blaize Street, St. George’s.
Speaking with THE NEW TODAY on Sunday, the Junior national footballer who ended up with 10 CXC subjects said that his scholastic achievement is a reminder that studying hard can bring results.
He said the achievement tells him that if anyone pays attention to his school work then he can get something out of it.
“It just shows that once you put in the effort that you will earn something from it,” he remarked.
On February 10, 2020, the national youth footballer who lives in Mt Rush in the St. George North-east constituency, received a letter from Dr. Nicole Phillip-Dowe in which she congratulated him on his outstanding academic performance.
The letter said in part: “The University of the West Indies Open Campus Grenada is very pleased to inform, that you were nominated for the 2019 T.A. Marryshow Memorial Award as a result of your outstanding performance in the 2019 SCEC examinations”.
According to young Joseph, he is exploring the possibilities of getting a football scholarship to the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
“That’s the main thing I am focusing on – that’s why I am trying to balance Sports and Academics at the same time. The first option that I have is to be a professional footballer and then if that doesn’t work out most likely to be an Accountant,” he said.
Joseph is into his second year at TAMCC majoring in Accounts/Business Management.
Joseph’s performance in school was recognised by the President of the Grenada Football Association (GFA), Chenny Joseph in a posting on his Facebook page.
The GFA boss wrote: “Balancing academics and sports is not a difficult feat once you have the correct support around you. Ronaldo Joseph has been an avid sportsman representing GRENADA at Under 15, Under 17 and Under 20.Yet he has excelled in academics even beyond his secondary school years. His workmanship on the football field and at TAMCC has consistently been excellent and we in the GFA wish him well as he pursues University education”.
The young national footballer is the son of retired public officer, Brian Joseph who was a Supervisor at the Customs Department for several years and Margaret Benjamin better known as Maggy of Belmont, St. George’s.