Devin Logan competed in her first Olympics in 2014 in Sochi, Russia. It was the first time her sport, ski halfpipe and ski slopestyle, were in the Games.
“I was fortunate enough to go there and represent my country and come back with a silver medal at the ripe age of 20,” she said. “That kind of just kick-started my dreams in pursuit to go for more.”
Logan went on to compete in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics as well.
But while chasing her Olympic dreams, Logan was also working on getting an undergraduate degree. In 2012, two years before earning her Olympic silver medal, Logan injured her knee and had to take time off the snow. So, in between appointments to rehabilitate her knee, she started attending classes at Westminster University in Salt Lake City.
“My friends and family were also pushing me that, you know, skiing doesn't last forever, and there will be an end point, and so when there was off seasons, lots of May terms, summer classes, I would take a class here and there,” she said.
It’s something many athletes juggle: doing well in their sport but also planning for life after the podium and a second career.
To aid athletes with this transition, Westminster and U.S. Ski and Snowboard, which is based in Park City, announced Tuesday they are relaunching a partnership that ran between 2005 and 2018.
Westminster will be an official four-year college provider for U.S. Ski and Snowboard athletes through 2034. Athletes will get their full tuition covered after applying for Federal Student Aid.
Logan earned her bachelor’s in communication through the first round of the program in 2023. She said her professors helped her figure out who she was outside of skiing.
“The transition outside of sports is really hard. I'd label it as like an identity crisis,” Logan said.
She’s now a private chef and works part-time with U.S. Ski and Snowboard to fundraise for athletes. Logan will also be a commentator for freestyle skiing competitions during the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Italy.
Four-time Olympic snowboarder Faye Gulini had a similar experience at Westminster, taking a few classes a year while pursuing her Olympic dreams. She earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree over 10 years.
“I truly don't believe I would have even attended college after high school if I didn't have this opportunity,” she said. “I was too kind of focused on sport at the time, and I had no interest. But given the opportunity, I figured I might as well not pass it up.”
Gulini said professors made pursuing both sport and education possible by providing accommodations for athletes. Even after the first partnership ended in 2018, Gulini said she was able to apply for scholarships and finish her degree with limited out-of-pocket costs.
After taking a break from snowboarding professionally, she started a family and worked as a tax accountant. Now, Gulini is getting back into the sport.
“I thought I was done with sport. After I had my daughter, who's two months old, I decided that I might want to try for one more Olympic Games.”
Westminster reports more than 50 Olympians have attended the college since its founding in 1875, earning 10 Olympic medals and completing 30 degrees.
