Graduation spotlight: Kendall Currence Takes Opportunities, Makes Things Happen
By: Sarah King
First Published: May 8, 2024
Topics: Grad, STHM School
Kendall Currence spent her time at Temple making an impact both on and off the court. (Photo courtesy of Temple Owls)
It’s not often you hear an athlete say an injury was a good thing.
But Kendall Currence turned misfortune into opportunity.
“Tearing my ACL was a blessing in disguise,” says Currence, a Temple Women’s Basketball player who will earn her master’s degree in sports business from the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management.
“I mean, it was really hard,” she says. “But I had so much downtime and that helped me open my mind to other possibilities as to what else I can do when I’m not playing basketball.”
Granted an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, the Northeastern University graduate decided to continue her basketball career at Temple University and pursue her master’s degree. However, that torn ACL kept her off the court for a year. She eventually played for the 2023-2024 season with the Owls.
Currence on the court, always with a smile (Photo courtesy of Temple Owls)
The time away from the court had her thinking about her future.
“It’s so easy for people to get caught up in their sport and then struggle to find their identity and purpose outside of it,” she says.
The recent changes in legislation regarding NIL policies inspired Currence to create her own personal brand, which then morphed into her gym wear brand, KC1 Collective.
KC1 Collective includes the Make a Change collection, where the proceeds from certain items go toward breast cancer and Alzheimer’s research.
In addition to the Make a Change collection, she created the Kendall Currence Camp, a basketball clinic camp for kids in her hometown of Bourne, Massachusetts. She knows how expensive sports participation can be, from uniforms to shoes to sports equipment, so it’s her goal to continue the camp year after year and eventually make it completely free of charge.
“It feels really good to give back to someplace I’m from,” she says. “Cape Cod is such a small place, and I want them to know that the world is a big place, and you can do whatever you want, regardless of where you come from.”
Kendall Currence celebrating a championship with her family (Photo courtesy of Temple Owls)
Currence says her charitable spirit comes from her Native American heritage. She wants to encourage kids, especially “the people who look like me in the indigenous communities,” to pursue the opportunities they see.
Next up for Kendall? She recently agreed to play professional basketball overseas after graduation.
