Joe Ofori

Student

Though Bay College freshman Joshua “Joe” Ofori is studying pre-physical therapy at Bay while playing on the Bay College Norse men’s basketball team, he never planned to pursue either of these interests in the Upper Peninsula. Even so, he has had an excellent experience as a Bay student over the past few months.

Joe graduated from Shakopee High School in his hometown of Shakopee, MN in 2023.

“I had originally committed to play at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, but that wasn’t working out,” he said.

Instead, he reached out to Bay’s Director of Athletics/Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Matt Johnson. About a year and a half earlier, Matt had spoken with him about the possibility of playing at Bay.

“He offered to take me in to play for this season, and I accepted the offer,” Joe said.

While he initially felt somewhat hesitant about the thought of taking classes at Bay, Joe’s opinion of the college changed as soon as he arrived.

“Bay College has above-average facilities. They offer so many resources for students,” he said.

Some of the resources Joe found particularly noteworthy include TRIO, Bay’s other tutoring services, and spaces like the sensory room.

“I use that room every single day to do homework,” he said.

Though he has not personally signed up for tutoring at Bay, Joe said some of his teammates have greatly appreciated this form of support.

“They take advantage of tutoring as much as they can,” he said.

Joe has also found a lot to like about the college’s student housing (and the level of assistance provided to students living on campus).

“Any time you have a problem with your housing, you have RAs and other resources to help you,” he said.

So far, Joe’s classes at Bay have been going well—he currently has a 3.7 GPA. Due to the relatively small class sizes at Bay, he has been able to get to know his instructors on a personal level.

“That’s honestly something I wish I had in high school,” he said.

In addition to his studies and his involvement with the Bay College Norse, Joe is a part of Norse Force (a student organization which supports Bay’s athletics program).

According to Joe, he is still weighing his options for his next year of college.

“I may do just one year here. If not, I’ll do two years at Bay and graduate with my pre-physical therapy degree,” he said.

Whether he stays at Bay for another year or not, Joe plans to transfer to a four-year college at some point to continue playing basketball and taking classes. After college, he hopes to work as a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon or a physical therapist.

Joe was inspired to choose this path by his interest in sports and his father’s history.

“My dad is an immigrant from Ghana—he lived there the first 25 years of his life. His dream was to become a nurse or doctor; today, he’s a night nurse. He inspired me to help others,” he said.