Educational Psychology alumnus Stafford Slick (M.A., '09) has already taken a long journey on a career that is just beginning, combining his love of education and volleyball. The Andover, MN, native is the director of student development and a physical education teacher at Fusion Academy in Hermosa Beach, CA, and a professional beach volleyball player. Slick's story was recently told in an article on Patch.com.

After graduation, the six-foot-eight Slick, an exceptional indoor volleyball player, had the opportunity to travel to Hermosa Beach and try out for a high-performance USA Volleyball beach team. He fell in love with the area, got a job at a local company, and continued to improve his beach volleyball skills. However, he was soon laid off in the unfavorable economy. But through his persistence and hard work, Slick landed at Fusion Academy, a college-prep, alternative private school, and on the professional beach volleyball circuit in California.

"It's not every day you can find a job that will support your passion and your dreams," said Slick in the article. "By all means, teaching is my passion [but] the company and organization understands that beyond that we have our own individual passions that drive us too."