STHM student-athlete spotlight
Sumaya Togba, class of 2025
By Ethan Duer
Raised in Odenton, MD, Sumaya Togba, class of 2025, is a forward for the Temple Owls women’s soccer team. As she nears the conclusion of her fall athletic season, she shared her student-athlete experience, including her transition to STHM after originally enrolling in Temple’s College of Liberal Arts.
Photo courtesy of Temple Athletics
Q&A with STHM
Name: Sumaya Togba
Sport: Women’s Soccer
Hometown: Odenton, Maryland (Arundel High School)
Major: Sport and Entertainment Management (STHM)
Favorite student-athlete memory: “Defeating Houston 2-1 and having an assist in the game—our energy on the field and bench were unmatched!”
Photo courtesy of Temple Athletics
What does it mean to you to be a student-athlete at the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management?
Although it can be challenging, being a student-athlete is immensely rewarding. The experience has taught me what it means to be dedicated both on the field and in the classroom, how to balance rigorous academic work with intense training/competition and how to always continue striving for success as both an athlete and student.
What was your decision process like when choosing to attend Temple?
When I first came to Temple, I hadn’t declared my major yet and was in the College of Liberal Arts. At the time, I still didn’t know what direction I wanted to take my career in, but I had strong support from my athletic academic advisor who helped me narrow it down and find something that fit two of my main interests: being around people and being involved in sports. The sport and event management major experience at STHM has been so enjoyable—I am grateful for the small ratio of professors and students, and how it allows me to really build relationships with my classmates. I have also enjoyed working with my female professors, as they have offered their expertise on the experience of women working in the sports industry. Additionally, I wanted to help the Black community, so I decided to pursue a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion.
How has the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management supported your pursuits as a student-athlete?
Whether it be through the flexibility within my class schedules to accommodate practices and games or the faculty and staff’s understanding of our demands when it comes to balancing academics and athletics, I’ve found that STHM is very supportive to the student-athlete community.
A few of my professors have even attended my games! Through their support and the resources that they offer to us, I am very thankful and feel that it’s allowed me to excel both in the classroom and on the field. I want to especially thank Reid Vanderlinden, my athletics academic advisor—he has been incredibly helpful in guiding me through course selection, balancing responsibilities and providing great mentorship and encouragement.
Sumaya Togba (2nd from right) on game day. (Photo courtesy of Temple Athletics)
“In addition to having access to world-class coaching and state-of-the-art athletics facilities, academically you are provided with unparalleled opportunities for networking, internships and career advancement.“
How will your student-athlete experience benefit you beyond your time at Temple?
I’ve already had numerous opportunities to network with professionals in my desired field. Those connections have already helped me secure internships and job opportunities that might have never been offered to me if I wasn’t a student-athlete. Especially through my experience with athletics, I know I will always have connections, whether through alumni events, industry conferences or simply reaching out for advice available to me in my professional field.
What would you say to a prospective student-athlete who is considering coming to Temple?
I would tell anyone looking to pursue the student-athlete experience to seriously consider coming here to STHM, or Temple, in general. Here, they offer a unique combination of top-tier academics and competitive athletic programs, located in the heart of Philadelphia. In addition to having access to world-class coaching and state-of-the-art athletics facilities, academically you are provided with unparalleled opportunities for networking, internships and career advancement.
What academic and athletic goals do you have for this year?
As a senior, I’d love athletically to win games and go to the playoffs, and academically, I’d like to secure a paying internship as well as a job post-graduation.
Photo courtesy of Temple Athletics
Student-Athletes at SHTM
Each academic year, a select group of students from Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) represents the school in a place beyond the classroom: NCAA collegiate athletics.
Participating across a variety of Temple Athletics programs, STHM is proud to be the academic home for many student-athletes.