AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Khalilah Doss, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Administration and Higher Education, presented on March 30th 2016, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: READY, SET, GO: A NARRATIVE STUDY ON JAMAICAN FEMALE TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES WHO ATTENDED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY IN THE U.S. MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Saran Donahoo At most institutions, track and field can function as the redheaded stepchild of athletic programs because these sports do not draw the revenue nor get the crowds often associated with college football or basketball. Nevertheless, there are multiple correlations common among all college student athletes. Primarily, all student athletes face the pressure of having both academic and athletic responsibilities and obligations. Concurrently, there are also differences that can make these athletes experiences unique, such as being from a different country or being of minority status (by gender, sexual orientation or color) and attending a predominately white institution. As a former college athlete, I want to identify and determine how Jamaican Female Track and Field Athletes negotiate the social, academic and cultural environments that they were a part of while attending a college or university in the U.S. I believe that some [if not all] of these female athletes struggle academically, socially, and personally while attending postsecondary institutions in the U.S.