USD Magazine Fall 2026

TOGETHER TOREROS ƒor Global Impact

By Steven Covella

In Duncans, locals don’t have much. Adults work to make ends meet, and their children’s schools have limited resources. But the community has a rich history and strong bonds. That welcoming community and bright energy has brought John Loggins ’95 (BA), ’12 (MA), back for more than 20 years. He first came to Duncans in 1996. He was in the Peace Corps and volunteered in Jamaica. When he came to USD a few years later, he met a professor, Rafik Mohamed, PhD, who had ties there. The two of them worked with the International Center to create a summer service program, which has evolved since. Today, Loggins is the director of community engaged learning at the Karen and Tom Mulvaney Center for Community, Awareness and Social Action. Last year, after running programs that brought USD students to Jamaica for decades, he was presented with a new opportunity: a collaboration with USD Athletics that would bring eight student athletes to Duncans for 10 days and change their lives forever. Stars Aligned Mya Johnson is an assistant athletic director at USD, overseeing student-athlete development, people and culture. She came to USD from Oregon State, where she worked closely with now-USD Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey. In addition to a winning culture on the field, the two of them strive to create leaders off the field, giving student-athletes experiences that get them engaged with the community and broaden their horizons. They wanted to start a service program that took student-athletes overseas, and naturally they were connected with Loggins. Duncans is nestled along the central northern coast of Jamaica. It’s quiet — a few miles inland — hours away from popular tourist destinations like Montego Bay or Negril to the west, and from the capital, Kingston, to the southeast.

Emiliano Salazar and Khalil Cueva pose with children from Duncans All Age. Groups from USD have been working with the school for years. This summer was the inaugural visit for Athletics’ Toreros Go Global program.

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