(Photo courtesy of Logan Du)
Logan Du, an international student from China, is the perfect example of Temple’s motto, “Perseverance Conquers”—turning setbacks into stepping stones.
From a young age, Du knew that his interests were in sports. Those interests led him to Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) where he will earn his degree in May in sport and recreation management.
After moving to the United States for middle and high school in New Jersey, he stayed glued to basketball—China’s most popular sport, and now his own passion.
Despite not knowing any English upon his arrival, basketball was his gateway into this brand-new place and culture. But when Du tore his ACL in his sophomore year of high school, he pivoted to becoming team manager for both basketball and football.
Living near Philadelphia, he’d heard of Temple and STHM for years. When his injury reshaped his athletic dreams, the sport management program felt like fate: a way to stay close to the game.
Once he arrived on campus, Du’s injury had healed enough that he was able to play on the Chinese Students & Scholars Association (CSSA) basketball team. This made a huge impact on him, as his participation in CSSA and their team was a key factor in making friends on campus.
But the stakes changed when Du tore his ACL again during his freshman year. At first, it felt like “the end of the world” to him, but with time, he found that the injury “really changed his mindset.”
(Photo courtesy of Logan Du)
“If I hadn’t torn my ACL, I don’t know where I’d be right now—I might’ve even flunked out of school,” Du says.
Forced off the court, he once again found new ways to explore his passions that weren’t quite so strenuous on his body.
STHM students are required to complete two internships during their time at school, but Du went above and beyond that expectation. He completed six internships within two years, even working two part-time internships simultaneously. Though he wouldn’t choose a favorite, his time as an event marketing intern with the Philadelphia Union was especially impactful—his first taste of a pro sports team’s operation.
Through it all, Du’s confidence grew. “My proudest moment is me right now,” he said. As an international student with English as his second language, he credits his internships with helping him “find his comfort zone in speaking to people and sharing his story.”
And he didn’t stop there. Du is also the general manager of the CSSA basketball team and a National Basketball Association (NBA) reporter for Kuaishou, China’s equivalent to TikTok, where he’s captured 10 Philadelphia 76ers games and attended as many postgame news conferences.
“It was like a dream come true,” he says. “It feels unreal to be so close to the NBA.”
Now, Du is an example of excellence to his professors and peers, and he relishes the opportunity to offer advice to younger students. His message? Every setback is a setup. As he graduates, he’s applying to every pro sports job he can find—because for Logan Du, the NBA isn’t a dream—it’s the next step.