She holds a BA from LaGrange College and a Master's in Theology from Emory University's Candler School of Theology. She is an American Montessori certified 3-6 teacher and fluent in both Spanish and English. As a young college graduate, Joyce served with the Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church as a Latin America "3" missionary in Chile. Joyce lives in Elgin, Illinois with her husband, Oscar, a United Methodist clergy person. They have four children and eight grandchildren.