The Key, May/June 2020 Edition

MAY/JUNE 2020

A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends

Maryland’s first community-transmitted case of the coronavirus that became a global health crisis was reported March 12, a day that triggered unprecedented upheaval in the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s academic calendar for the remainder of the spring.

Gov. Larry Hogan took dramatic steps that somber Thursday in hopes of limiting the spread of the deadly illness, including a directive that most state agencies switch to teleworking. Translation; employees should work and by extension students should study from home.

Mid-term exams the following day, Friday the 13th, were not administered.

Hogan’s executive order gave UMES a one-day head start on the traditional mid-March spring break that marked a sea change in college life.

UMES students initially were told spring break would be extended an extra week and if the emergency subsided, in-person classes would resume March 30.

It was not to be.

Working closely with the University System of Maryland (USM), UMES leaders and their counterparts quickly transitioned all instruction

COVID-19 reshaped how UMES functioned Pandemic disrupted the rhythm of everyday life

UMES professor Miriam Purnell volunteered as a Haitian-Creole translator for a COVID-19 drive-thru testing clinic May 2 at Shorebirds’ stadium in Salisbury. The two-day event sponsored by the Wicomico County Health Department and Peninsula Regional Medical Center was organized to reach poultry plant workers.

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UMES earns accreditation to offer physician assistant degree The University of Maryland Eastern Shore received accreditation confirmation this spring to offer its Physician Assistant program.

Graduate-level courses leading to a physician assistant degree will be offered starting with the 2020-21 academic year.

Based on a review of the program by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA), UMES looks to enroll 20 new students this August.

The 28-month program will include didactic and experiential education components. The university will award a Master’s of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies to those who PA DEGREE / continued on page 3

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Covid-19 Impact continued

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HHMI Driving Change Initiative

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Helping Fellow Hawks PA continued

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Student Perspective

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Alum profile

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Ag Scholarship

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Educator’s Essay

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Douglass Fellowship Awards Convocation Honorees

Page 10 Study Abroad Interrupted

Page 11 Page 12 Athletics

Hawk Support Fund

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Homecoming 2020

A 3D printer the university’s pharmacy school uses to manufacture nasal spray bottles for narcoticoverdose training was reprogrammed to make headbands on which plastic sheets and elastic straps were mounted to create 50 face shields donated to Coastal Hospice in Salisbury.

The disruption of UMES academic schedule also impacted its timehonored finale; graduation.

Like counterparts nationwide, UMES organized a “virtual online. Unless a student made a special request for a letter grade, celebration and degree conferral” ceremony for Friday, May 15. Degree grading reverted to “pass-fail.”

Students scheduled appointments the week of March 23 to retrieve candidates were encouraged to send in submissions for inclusion in “A Lifetime at UMES!” video streamed online before the noon event. The belongings from dormitories. The residence life department staff had program included a message from Gov. Hogan, a senior class message, masks and hand-sanitizing stations at the ready when they arrived to a class of 2020 video tribute and remarks from President Heidi M. pack up their possessions.

Anderson before degrees were conferred.

Roughly 15 students, most whose homes are outside the United University system Chancellor Jay Perman said in a May 8 statement States, remained on campus to “shelter in place.” A makeshift cafeteria “the University System of Maryland is planning to resume at least schedule was devised to provide meals-to-go. The little-publicized some in-person instruction this fall. Our primary consideration as we campus food pantry was also a source of sustenance.

Student-athletes saw their seasons suspended. The women’s bowling undertake this planning is the health and safety of the students, faculty, and staff, as well as our university neighbors.” team, regular season champions in MEAC play, were prevented from A Return to Campus Advisory Group appointed by Perman is tasked closing the deal by winning the post-season conference tournament. with “examining how in-person instruction might be accomplished in The NCAA, intercollegiate athletics’ governing body, gave member institutions latitude to give senior athletes an additional year of eligibility. the fall, what conditions must exist—within the state and on and around each campus—for students to return, and how those conditions will The UMES athletics department issued a statement that said: affect our institutions’ academic and administrative operations.” ”Extension of eligibility for COVID-19 seniors will be resolved between Also May 8, UMES received the first installment of $3.5 million in each team’s head coach and (his or her) student-athletes.” federal pandemic-relief funding specifically for colleges, half of which The university’s traditional spring convocation, a celebration of the university will distribute as emergency financial-aid grants to eligible students’ academic achievements and where departmental and schoolstudents. level awards are handed out, was cancelled.

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School News

UMES among finalists in HHMI’s Driving Change competition

By Tahja Cropper The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has qualified as a finalist for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s (HHMI) Driving Change Initiative. HHMI is a “science philanthropy whose mission is to advance basic biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity.”

UMES, a historically black university and land-grant institution with a R2 Carnegie Classification, is the only HBCU among the 38 finalists whose letter of intent was selected out of nearly 100 applicants. According to the HHMI, the goal of the Driving Change Initiative is to “drive genuine and lasting culture change on university campuses so undergraduate students from all backgrounds, particularly those who belong to historically excluded groups, will excel in STEM and graduate from college well prepared to pursue advanced degrees and eventually assume leadership roles in STEM.” UMES’ research activity (R2 Carnegie Classification) was instrumental in opening the door for this opportunity as noted by Dr. Nancy Niemi, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. “The opportunity was only open to Carnegie 1 and 2 institutions, which means the research activity has to be at a high level or a very high level,” said Niemi.

The competition consists of the following three interlocking elements: the development of a coherent set of activities that provides a robust framework to support student success in STEM, the creation of a more inclusive STEM learning environment that affects all STEM students at the university, and convening a learning community of institutions that are engaged in Driving Change.

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UMES is only HBCU selected as competition finalists to drive culture change in STEM

UMES exhibits a shared vision for lasting institutional change as it relates to advancing diversity and inclusion in STEM through the diversity of faculty, its undergraduate and graduate catalog (over half of programs rooted in STEM) and programs such as the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program, which provides ongoing academic and social support for students pursuing STEM majors.

“My hope is for us to engage in genuine reflection as a university community regarding what we need to do to ensure our students can exude excellence in representing themselves and their professions in STEM,” said Niemi on UMES being named a finalist in the Driving Change Initiative. “It will be a team effort.”

As a finalist, UMES will undergo a self-study to identify its good practices and ways the university can improve and drive culture change in the world of STEM. “This is a great opportunity to have the hard the conversations and create actions from those conversations, specifically about inclusivity,” said Niemi.

The core leadership team for the Driving Change Initiative guiding the self-study will consist of the following university members: Dr. S. Victor Hsia, Professor of Pharmacology; Dr. Nancy S. Niemi, Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Rondall Allen, Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions; Hans Cooper, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Experience; Dr. Derrek Dunn, Dean, School of Business and Technology; Dr. Lakeisha Harris, Dean, Graduate Education and Acting Vice President of Research and Dr. Moses Kairo, Dean, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences. The self-study is due in early 2021.

Ultimately, six institutions will be selected from the 38 finalists to receive $500,000 a year over six years. The funds must be used to help create culture change regarding STEM education on the campuses.

Awards are expected to be announced in Fall 2021.

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UMES Students

UMES classes compete to support Hawks impacted by COVID-19 Aajah Harris, UMES Graduate Student and 2018-2019 SGA President, has thrown down the gauntlet and is challenging alumni, particularly those who graduated since 2015, to see which class can make the most gifts to the UMES COVID -19 Student Support Fund.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has set up a special campaign to provide emergency funds for students – The website is: https:// app.mobilecause.com/vf/HawkCovid.

The fund is halfway to its $50,000 goal.

Grants awarded to Hawks in need will help them with food, rent payments, technology such as laptops, and other pressing needs brought on by the pandemic and the fact that students had to leave campus “We want all Hawk alumni to step up and help as best as you can,” said Harris. “Please consider a recurring, $2 monthly gift. If we can get 500 or more alumni to give at this level, we can raise more than $12,000 to support current students. If you can give more, that’s great!”

Current SGA President Kennera Goodman was very excited about this effort. “I really appreciate Aajah’s leadership in putting this challenge on the table,” Goodman said. “I know our Hawk community will step up to help Hawks who are either graduating this year or over the next three years. These are unprecedented times and we are depending on one another.”

For the COVID -19 Hawk Challenge, we will count the number of gifts each class contributes. We are working to identify the best way to acknowledge the winning class, which will likely involve special recognition at our next Homecoming.

Please give what you can. No gift is too little and if you can make a modest gift on a monthly basis, that would be fantastic. Many thanks to all!

PA DEGREE / continued from cover

successfully complete it.

Dr. Tiffany S. Maxwell, program director and department chair, who led the reaffirmation effort, said, “the university’s physician assistant program will be an integral part of the healthcare community by educating the next generation of healthcare providers to serve our local and surrounding communities.”

As UMES’ 16th leader, Dr. Heidi M. Anderson made earning accreditation of the PA program a priority.

“Given that every county on the Eastern Shore of Maryland is designated as medically underserved areas … or a Health Professions Shortage Area, having more physician assistants is vital for our communities,” Anderson said.

Dr. Rondall Allen, dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, hired Maxwell, a veteran educator, and tasked her with producing a comprehensive portfolio required to prove readiness in preparing competent physicians assistants.

ARC-PA, after receiving the materials, took note of “the commitment and dedication to quality PA education demonstrated by (UMES’) participation in the accreditation process.”

The program’s value has been confirmed by the support of the University System of Maryland’s administration, its governing board and Gov. Larry Hogan.

“Everyone in our community should be excited about this,” Anderson said. “The program graduates will infuse the region with highly trained medical professionals with skills in illness diagnosis, medical treatment prevention and care plans.”

PAs, as they are known professionally, are able to conduct clinical research and make advancements in medical sciences.

Overall contributions of physician assistants are many and varied, which can have special value in rural communities and where medical clinics are scarce.

In addition to voicing support for the PA program, Maryland’s elected leaders also approved funds to build a healthcare training complex that will enhance all healthcare curricula at UMES. Maxwell said the program will draw strength by engaging with the local healthcare community, including Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Atlantic General Hospital, University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, local physicians, physician assistants and other healthcare providers.

Physician assistant students will complete over 2,000 hours in rotations including family medicine, general surgery and mental health training. The rigorous course content aligns closely with that of medical school, and the program is attractive to students of all career and educational backgrounds.

UMES’ goal is to enroll 25 students a year from now with another 30 in 2022.

“I am so proud of Dr. Maxwell and Dean Allen,” Anderson said. “They took on this monumental task and got it accomplished in record time. And it comes just when the nation is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and needing a plethora of healthcare providers.”

Student Perspective

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Staying positive in these troubled times

Editor’s note: The writer was UMES’ lone undergraduate serving as a Maryland General Assembly intern this spring when state government, including the legislature, shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a snapshot of how he’s approached the circumstances.

By Parys Lassiter Things have been really interesting and nerve-racking to say the least since the decision was made to shelter-in-place.

I have accepted the challenges that were placed upon us, but to be honest it has been difficult at times. I am at ease with the online classes. I have been taking classes online since high school.

Some classes, however, I prefer to have in person – such as English – but I am making the most of it. I am enjoying the Zoom (online group) meetings and seeing my classmates – when they decide to show themselves.

I do miss my friends, although I FaceTime with them almost every day.

I was upset my internship with the Maryland General Assembly

ended abruptly.

I was right in the middle of legislative hearings, where I was starting to see my assigned work on researching bills being discussed.

I was learning a lot from Del. Benjamin T. Brooks Sr. from Baltimore County, who represents the areas of Randallstown and Reisterstown, and I was looking forward to learning more.

I also wanted to get more involved on campus and look into how I might fit into recognized student organizations.

I am not complaining, I am just disappointed these aspects of college life have been put on hold.

I have been making the most of my time by keeping up with my classes and spending time with my mom and grand mom. I have been learning to cook to keep busy and to stay positive.

Initially, I did not want to watch the news on television to get constant updates on COVID-19 until a close family lost her battle to the virus. We were not allowed to attend the funeral, but we did FaceTime (with) the family to offer our condolences and share fond memories.

Meanwhile, in my free time, I have been running errands and getting essential items for my grand mom so she can stay home and be safe. I’m actively looking for a summer job, too.

I worry about my mom. She is an essential employee at Johns Hopkins University’s Wilmer Eye Clinic. She goes into the office almost every day.

But we all are being as safe as possible. I was excited to see the email from the university about room selection for fall 2020. It gives me a glimpse of hope that things are slowly returning to normal.

I hope all my fellow Hawks are well. Hopefully, we will see each other on campus soon.

Parys Lassiter is a junior majoring in criminal justice from Owings Mills. His goal is to attend law school so that someday he can provide legal aid to those unable to afford legal representation.

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Alum Profile

‘Father figure’

UMES alumnus Ralph C. Paden Sr. is an admired “father figure” by those whose lives he touched over a three-decade career as a Prince George’s County (Md.) educator.

His father, seeking reliable employment, moved the family from Greenville, S.C. when Paden was 2½ to Port Henry, N.Y., a predominantly white community on Lake Champlain. He played football, basketball and ran track – inspired by his “much faster” older brother – and was the only African American in his graduating class.

An African American music teacher pointed Paden in the direction of Maryland State, where he majored in physical education with a minor in biology. He tried out for the track team coached by the legendary Clifton “Cappy” Anderson and made the roster.

That coach-athlete connection set Paden on a path that resulted in parallel tributes.

UMES’ track and field venue is named for Anderson. The Fairmont Heights (Md.) High School football stadium, where Paden patrolled the sidelines for 30 years, was re-dedicated in his honor in 2018.

Anderson “was a man with a big laugh,” Paden said. “There was a lot of laughter to him. He tried not to demean anybody. But he could put his foot down when he had to. He had everyone’s respect.”

As a member of Maryland State’s class of 1967, Paden was among Maryland State students who contributed to the dramatic societal changes that defined the second half of the 20th century.

Paden joined fellow students in protesting local business segregation policies, suffering

a cut to his face by water from a highpressure fire hose used to disperse the crowd.

Paden went on to distinguish himself as a teacher and coach in Prince George’s County, a majority of it at Fairmont Heights high.

In a video tribute produced by the Prince George’s public school system, former colleague George Wake described Paden as “a better person than a coach. (And) I thought he was very good coach.”

Paden’s teams won 177 games – many accomplished by rosters with fewer than 30 players, an achievement the Maryland High School Football Foundation says ranks among the state’s top coaching achievements.

“The kids I had all those years, they played hard,” Paden said. “I had guards who weighed 165 pounds.”

Winning 62 percent of his games earned him induction in the state football coaches association’s Hall of Fame in 2003.

Fairmont Heights decided a November 2018 home playoff game was an ideal time to salute “Coach Paden.” A rainy night did not deter former players from attending the stadium renaming ceremony.

“He was a great coach, but he was (also) a father figure,” said Carlos Prillman, a 1987 Fairmont Height alum who played four years.

Paden said he was humbled by the school system’s gesture to honor him with the stadium naming, and by the turnout of former players to celebrate with him.

“Our players,” he said, “… can have the satisfaction of coming back years from now and saying ‘Coach Paden coached me’.”

’67 alum Ralph Paden revered in Prince George’s County

Ag News

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UMES has new agriculture studies scholarships

Junior Jade Madison cradles a baby goat.

Funding comes from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will offer a new scholarship program this fall specifically for first-time and transfer students who choose to major in food and agricultural sciences.

It will be funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a federal agency that announced it is awarding $14 million to 19 historically black colleges and universities known as land-grant institutions. UMES will receive $752,632 from that allocation included in the 2018 Farm Bill championed by Congressman David Scott, a Georgia Democrat.

In its application to the agency administering the grants, UMES said its “project will support students majoring in agriculture, agribusiness, human ecology, and environmental sciences.”

Those students, UMES said, “will receive special support and mentoring to ensure they complete their degrees in a timely manner and are well- prepared for careers in the food and agricultural sciences.”

“The goal … is to address the national shortfall in the number of trained graduates available to fill positions in the food, agriculture, renewable natural resources or the environment sectors,” UMES’ grant application said.

Four years after it was founded in 1886, UMES - known as Princess Anne Academy at the time - became part of a group of historically black schools that offered agriculture and related studies included in a federal law that today continues to provide federal funding to those institutions.

“Today’s announcement signifies our continuing partnership with the 1890 land-grant universities to ensure the sustainability of our country’s

agricultural future,” said J. Scott Angle, director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “We are pleased to support these important institutions as they develop the next generation of agricultural leaders.”

By developing a highly skilled workforce, the federally-funded scholarship program aims to promote rural prosperity and economic development aligning with U.S. Department of Agriculture’s strategic goals.

Four programs across three academic departments - agriculture, food and resource sciences, human ecology and natural sciences - within the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences make up the UMES program. Students may choose agribusiness management, general agriculture, human ecology or environmental science as their major course of study, with several of the majors offering up to four concentrations.

Along with citizenship, admission to UMES and a minimum cumulative 3.0 grade point average, students applying for the program must meet a select number of criteria. Above all, there must be an intent to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences.

Freshmen are eligible to receive awards for four years and transfer students for two years as long as all requirements are met. Research, internships and volunteerism opportunities will round out the Program along with a wide range of additional co-curricular activities.

For information about the UMES 1890 Scholarship Program or to apply, visit www.umes.edu/1890scholarship.

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Educator’s Essay

Preparing for tomorrow

By DaMisha Brown Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in telecommunications from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”

~ Malcolm X I used this quote, standing on the platform as the student commentary speaker for the 2016 Winter Commencement. The same quote still resonates with me today.

Initially, I planned to plant my feet in a news building. Once returning to my community, I saw a need to plant bigger seeds into the field of education.

I am in the first year of my career as a Special Education Paraeducator through Colonial School District at Harry O. Eisenberg Elementary School in New Castle, Del. I assist and teach in a 4th and 5th grade intensive classroom. This classroom has now become a small corner in my home, COVID-19 re-routed the world of many. Daily through email and calls, my district let students, parents and faculty know what our next steps were in approaching an unimaginable situation. We had a device

pickup for students to access their own Chromebook for learning and provided over 109,000 meals to children across our community.

As educators, we adapted to “social distancing” while outside, and “remote learning” while in school. We use ZOOM, a webcam technology that allows us to teach our students live and in real time. We are able to record our meetings, share our desktop screens virtually, engage in discussions with a chat provided as we are in session and much more. I am teaching our reading groups with ZOOM, and it has been an amazing experience to see and hear how engaged our students are with the lessons at home.

It matters more than it ever that our students feel safe and know that we are here for them. My virtual classroom reminds me of taking an online class, using Blackboard at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

I remember taking American literature and even though the class was online, my professor’s enthusiasm for the subject alone shined through the work, yet, I never met the professor. This is the same feeling you should bestow on your students, if you desire to be an educator, future Hawks and alumni.

Students must feel the safety, protection and excitement in your voice. Education is still the passport of our future, and tomorrow belongs to us if we continue to social distance today.

School News

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HONORS CONVOCATION

2020

SCHOOL & DEPT HONOREES SCHOOL AWARDS: AWARD OF EXCELLENCE Agricultural & Natural Sciences

Yasmin Roye

Business & Technology

Chantelle Sutton

Education, Social Sciences and the Arts

Andre Bell

Pharmacy & Health Professions

Jamelah Andrews-Grate

AGRICULTURAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES This image of 2017 alumna Jasmine Brown (kinesiology) was captured in mid-April by Ron Johnson of the The Villages’ Daily Sun newspaper in Florida, which identified her as a University of Florida Medical School student helping administer COVID-19 tests in a senior citizens’ community.

Hawks Abroad in 2021

Agriculture, Food & Resource Sciences

Wade Wilkins

Human Ecology

Gabrielle Pinto

Natural Sciences

Yasmin Roye

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY Business, Management & Accounting

Briana Nero

Engineering & Aviation Sciences

Tiffany Jackson

Hospitality & Tourism Management

Adrienne Durham

Mathematics & Computer Science

Darryl Parsons

Golf Management

Young Lee

Technology

Shelby Brewington

EDUCATION SOCIAL SCIENCES & THE ARTS

As COVID-19 has interrupted many schedules, sophomores Princess Sarah Bentil (left) and Aleecia Joof (right) are planning for their study abroad experiences as they were selected as Frederick Douglass Summer Scholars for summer 2021. The students were awarded a $1,500 grant and $500 towards airfare as a part of the Council on International Educational Exchange’s (CIEE) Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship. Bentil, a business major, has goals of being an international business woman and plans to study in Barcelona, Spain. The Laurel Md. native is currently Miss Sophomore.

In addition to the study abroad award, Joof was also selected to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) for the upcoming academic year. The human ecology major (fashion merchandising concentration) and Greenbelt, Md. native plans to study in Paris, France working toward her goal of a career in marketing and fashion merchandising. Their advice to fellow Hawks is “take advantage of study abroad opportunities and don’t procrastinate.”

Criminal Justice

Aaminah Matthews

Education

Allison Gingrich

English & Modern Languages

Ciani Wells

Fine Arts

Ellen Bargar

General Studies

Alona Robillard

Social Sciences

Andre Bell

PHARMACY & HEALTH PROFESSIONS Kinesiology

Kurtis Rogers

Rehabilitation Services

Taylor Pritchett-Snow

SPECIAL AWARDS Richard Bernstein Award of Excellence

To be announced

Daniel J. Pinkett Awards

Andre Proctor

10 The Key / May/June 2020

Study Abroad

‘Life took a weird turn’

UMES senior Samantha Hernandez was walking down a street in Cuzco, Peru the morning of March 22 when police stopped her for not wearing a mask.

Peru took aggressive steps early on to stem the spread of the coronavirus, including a strict curfew. Local authorities embraced a strategy of wearing face masks in public, a directive Samantha initially missed.

“Life took a weird turn,” she said.

Although reluctant to take credit, her selflessness also helped nine fellow foreign exchange students return safely to the United States.

Her senior-year spring semester as a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar would be spent high in the Andes mountains two miles above sea level.

Samantha settled into an internship working at a clinic that treats patients with altitude sickness. It provided her experience performing health-care related duties needed to fulfill a graduation requirement.

As COVID-19 closed in on the Americas, Samantha sensed her semester abroad might end early.

When Peru’s president ordered the nation’s borders closed and gave people 24 hours’ notice to leave the country, it created an international stir.

“I was living history in the making,” she said.

In a phone call home, she told her mother, “I’m fine. I’m welladjusted. I’ve got good connections with people who offered to help me and I can speak Spanish.”

As a scholarship recipient through a federal government agency, she reached out to the U.S. embassy in Lima and the Knowledge Exchange Institute, which coordinated her travel and insurance coverage in case of emergency.

“I remember thinking ’if we do get a flight (out), it would be a miracle’,” she said.

A week after Peru’s government took drastic actions, Samantha and her roommate walked to a nearby grocery store packed with everyone wearing masks.

The store wouldn’t let them enter, so they headed back to their apartment only to be stopped by police, who interrogated them for ignoring the local directive to keep faces shielded. The roommates explained their situation and went home.

The next day, the U.S. embassy alerted her it could get her on a March 25 flight, a week earlier than she initially hoped possible.

Her thoughts turned to other American exchange students she had befriended. “Is there a possibility of them being on the manifest for the same flight,” she asked the embassy.

The embassy was scrambling to gauge how many Americans needed help and told Samantha to have her friends send it details about their situation.

After a tense trip to Cuzco’s airport, Samantha and nine other exchange students boarded a plane to Lima, Peru’s capital, the first leg of a long sojourn home.

When Samantha arrived at Reagan National Airport in Washington on March 26, her mother waited anxiously.

“My mom wanted to hug me so bad,” Samantha said. “But she can’t. My biggest fear is being a carrier (of the virus).”

The exercise science major is back home in Lanham, Md. after a successful two-week self-quarantine.

“If I could get through this,” she remembers thinking, “I could get through anything.”

Athletics

Bowling was rolling ’til COVID-19 came along The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s bowling team saw a sterling 2019-20 season rolled into the channel by COVID-19 but the pandemic didn’t deflect student-athletes and their coach from receiving post-season accolades.

In the final National Tenpin Coaches Association’s poll after competition ended prematurely for the spring 2020 semester, the Lady Hawks were ranked sixth nationally, and more impressively, the team compiled the nation’s best winning percentage. UMES finished the season 84-29.

Going undefeated against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference competition (24-0) earned UMES the regular season title and fueled a quiet confidence that a successful tournament run was in the making.

Freshman Brooke Roberts (top left) was named MEAC’s Rookie of the Year, while Coach of the Year honors went to Kayla Bandy (bottom left), her fourth such award since taking the reins in 2013.

Nationally, senior Cayla Hicks and sophomore Chloe Skurzynski were named honorable mention All-Americans by the National Tenpin Coaches Association, the second straight honor for Hicks and a first for Skurzynski.

“I walked into this school year and bowling season ready to conquer all of the obstacles that were between our team and the NCAA National Championship,” Hicks said. “This team was so special to everyone involved and anyone will speak to the impact we made on the program in just one season.”

Bandy said Hicks and Skurzynski ”had great seasons, paralleled to our team’s success. Their success was in part due to great leadership on the team and performances boosted by solid support of their teammates.

“Cayla was great for our team on and off the lanes,” the coach said.

“Chloe is (someone) who is finding her spot in the lineup. She has such tremendous talent and that is indicative with this award.”

Skurzynski and Hicks excelled in the classroom as well. The duo was joined by senior Brigitte Jacobs, junior Paulina Torres and sophomore Isabel Hughes on the MEAC all-academic team.

“This is just one more example of how hard these young women worked this season,” Bandy said. “They put in just as much effort in the classroom as they do on the lanes.”

Sophomores, juniors and seniors with a 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average (GPA), as well as transfer student-athletes who have been at the institution for at least one year, are eligible for All-Academic accolades.

“This group ... worked so hard day in and day out and it broke my heart for the season to end so quickly,” Hicks said. “We put ourselves in a position to finish this season hoisting trophies, but we will never know what could have been.”

“I am so grateful for the experiences and opportunities I was given as a student athlete at UMES,” Hicks said.

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Cordell named to Blackcollegenines.com ‘No Fly Zone’ outfielder list Junior ends season of offensive outbreak with a defensive honor The 2020 baseball season halted prematurely by the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t diminish one Hawk player’s breakout season as a hitter that was capped off by a late defensive honor from the website blackcollegenines.com.

Junior Brian Cordell was named one of HBCU baseball’s 10 best “No Fly Zone” outfielders by the site.

The list followed statistical information of fleet-footed outfielders reaching balls hit in the gaps and turning wouldbe hits into outs. BCN took into account arm strength, fielding range, speed, and hitting for power and average.

The catch phrase “No Fly Zone” was used by coach Anthony “Happy” Macon to describe his 2018 Texas College outfielders who turned balls driven into the gap that appeared to be a hit, but were caught as outs.

“These players have proven themselves with raw talent for their defensive ability and bring some of the best speed in all of HBCU baseball, and have proven themselves on the field,” author Michael Coker said. “This group has some high-end talent in our eyes. All of these players should have a future in the outfield.”

Cordell, who also pitches, ranked No. 8 on the outfielder list with 36 putouts in 39 chances and just three errors for a .923 fielding percentage. He earned a BCN rating of 97.2.

Cordell’s quickness makes him one of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s best outfielders, according to Hawks head coach Brian Hollaman.

“In many cases, as soon as the ball is in the air,” Hollaman said, “we mark it down in the books as an out.”

The Hawks finished the shortened campaign with a 4-11 non-conference record, including a win over the University of Delaware. Hollaman said he believed the team was poised to contend during MEAC play that never materialized.

Cordell had been a bright spot this spring; he seemed to turn the corner offensively with a team-leading .438 batting average and a 1.182 OPS. In 48 at bats, he had 21 hits including a pair of doubles and two home runs. He scored 13 runs, drove in nine to go with a .604 slugging percentage and his 15 walks helped him generate a .578 on base percentage.

The Key / May/June 2020

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