FERRIDAY — Trenace Morgan had to pause and think about which one she liked more — basketball or nursing.

“I love basketball more, because I’ve been playing it longer,” Morgan said finally. “But I should love nursing more after high school.”

The Ferriday High School junior point guard is a part of the school’s nursing program. In her seventh-period class, she is currently learning nursing skills like breaking down medication doses and how the body’s cardiovascular system works.

Morgan, who has a 3.0 grade-point average, said she became interested in nursing after her mother had surgery when she was in seventh grade.

“I didn’t know anything about helping her out or what type of medication she was on, and I wanted to learn about all that stuff,” Morgan said.

When she’s around her teammates and coaches, Morgan can’t help but talk about what she’s learning in the program.

“She’s one of the better students in that class, and she loves that class,” Lady Trojans head coach Lisa Abron said. “It’s all I hear her talk about.”

Morgan admitted she does get passionate about what she hopes to make a career out of someday.

“I talk about it all the time,” Morgan said. “I tell (my teammates) that I want to do it. My aunt is a nurse, and she said it’s hard, but if you really love it, you’ll stick with it.”

Between basketball, nursing and the rest of her studies, Morgan said the key to keeping good grades is making homework a priority when you’re not doing anything else.

“I start my homework in class, then when I get out of practice I finish it,” Morgan said. “You can’t let time go to waste.”

Abron said she admires Morgan’s self-motivation, whether it’s regarding schoolwork or being out on the basketball court.

“She’s always been a very hard-working, intelligent young lady,” Abron said. “I’m familiar with her family, and they’re probably why she does so well. She carries herself like a young lady and works hard in practice every day.”

Morgan credits her mother, Tressie Morgan, and grandmother Dorothy Oliver for her self-motivation.

“They always tell me to work hard at whatever I do and never give up,” Morgan said.

Morgan picked up basketball in fifth grade, and the best thing about playing the sport is having a good group of teammates to back her up, she said.

“We all have a positive attitude, and if we get down, we can pick each other up,” Morgan said.

Both Morgan’s mother and father, Cedric Morgan, played sports at Ferriday High School in the 1980s. With that kind of pedigree, Morgan said she’s proud to wear the Trojans’ uniform.

“My whole family has gone to Ferriday High School,” Morgan said. “I’ve lived in Ferriday my whole life, so I take pride (in my school). I love being a Trojan.”

After high school, Morgan said she plans to attend a two-year college and become a registered nurse.