PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — Any student-athlete, current or former, is likely familiar with Neema Connor sitting in her office in the Hytche Center. But for those who do not know, Connor serves as Director of Compliance and Senior Woman Administration for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

A long title with a lot of duties, she oversees the student-athletes who represent the Hawks and insure they meet the NCAA eligibility requirements and graduate with a degree. She also oversees implementation of Title IX standards, promoting and upholding gender equality in athletes at UMES.

This weekend, Connor has accepted an invitation to travel to the Caribbean to speak at the U.S. Elite International Track & Field’s (USEITF) Annual Scholarship and Athletic Convention in Kingston, Jamaica.

USEITF is a not-for-profit organization geared towards international track and field athletes. Their mission is to get student-athletes who are college bound to enroll in the Liaison program in order to be paired with mentors who will guide them thru the process of being recruited by either a Division I or II NCAA institution.  The event brings together aspiring student-athletes to educate them about the importance of balancing athletics and academics, how to access scholarships, learning about debt-free education, and living a drug free life.

Connor will speak to those assembled about the compliance component of athletics, guiding them thru the process of getting them academically eligible to compete, something she does daily with students already enrolled at UMES.

The Hawks already possess an outstanding international presence on its athletic teams, including the track & field program. Currently the roster includes student-athletes from Spain, Kenya, and Dominica, while also featuring American immigrants born in Nigeria. Connor herself is a native of Guyana, and moved to the United States to pursue an education at UMES. She has worked in various roles in UMES Athletics since 2001.