Your past does not define your future: Logan Stuckhardt thrives at WMU

KALAMAZOO, MI— For senior Logan Stuckhardt from Portage, Michigan, success hasn’t come without its challenges. The sales and business marketing student has overcome many obstacles and found an uplifting community at the Western Michigan University Haworth College of Business. 

From a young age, Stuckhardt was faced with some challenging circumstances and had to make decisions that would set him up for a promising future.

“My mother and father struggled with addiction and severe mental health issues, which created a chaotic and abusive environment at home. I took on more responsibilities, caring for my sister, managing household duties, and trying to focus on my education, all while dealing with the grief of losing my best friend. Eventually, I made the difficult decision to leave and became unhoused for a few months until I later moved in with my grandparents. That’s when my life started turning around, and I found myself at Western Michigan University.”

Since he started at the Haworth College of Business, Stuckhardt has blossomed as a student, leader and member of the WMU Haworth community. As he pursues his degree in sales and business marketing, Stuckhardt is taking advantage of every opportunity he can. One of his leadership roles is serving as the director of fundraising for the Sales and Business Marketing Association, a registered student organization on campus, where he works to gain support for the organization and contributes to the local community through service projects. 

Stuckhardt also found a sense of belonging and passion for his major during his time at the Robert S. Kaiser Sale, Negotiation and Leadership Lab. He worked as a student employee, helping his peers develop their selling skills in the state-of-the-art facility, while also working on his own development as a sales professional. He says, “This program equips me with essential skills and real-world experience, preparing me for a successful career in sales. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting involved on campus and seeking out networking opportunities.”

Beyond the classroom walls of WMU, Stuckhardt has experienced once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunities through both his study abroad trip and his internship. 

“I had the incredible chance to study abroad in Germany, visiting five cities and immersing myself in the culture,” he says. “This experience allowed me to build an international network and learn from esteemed professors at Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Potsdam. The negotiation and public speaking skills I gained during this trip have been invaluable.”

And his learning didn’t stop in Germany. Stuckhardt says, “After the trip, I joined Bunzl as a sales intern. My eight-week summer internship was jam packed, consisting of three outside sales shadow weeks throughout the country, real life sales calls, product trainings with our strategic partners, and generating completely new revenue for the company within new account prospects. My intern team generated over $1,000,000 in new revenue opportunities in three short weeks!”

With his sights set on graduation, Stuckhardt hopes to return to Bunzl as a full-time employee. He shares these words of reflection from his time at WMU Haworth.

“It's easy to feel trapped by your circumstances, to think that your past will dictate your future. But I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to. Your story is still being written and you have the power to shape it. You are the captain of your fate and the master of your soul.” 

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