From training sea lions in Florida and New Jersey to coaching athletes in Pennsylvania, Todd Slobodnyak, a 2012 biology major, has embarked on an adventurous career journey since graduating from Westminster just a dozen years ago. Coach Slobodnyak attributes his career wins to the well-rounded and opportunistic education he received at WC.

Tell us about your career journey since graduating from Westminster.

After college, I took a job as an animal trainer at Six Flags in New Jersey. I spent two years working with sea lions and otters at a place called Six Flags Great Adventure. I did that for about two years. Then in 2014, I moved back to Pittsburgh and took a sales role at a company called Chromalock, which is an industrial feeder company. I actually got that job thanks to a fellow Westminster alum who was employed there. Thanks to that Westminster connection, I broke into the sales world. From there, I moved into commercial insurance with a company called Federated Insurance. While working, in 2015 I started a club swim team in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.

How did Westminster prepare you for your career progression?

I really came into Westminster looking to be a high school biology teacher. I was pursuing a biology degree with a secondary education minor. While attending Westminster, I had the opportunity to take an internship at SeaWorld in Florida doing animal training. The education piece overlapped a lot while learning animal training. The psychology of education and working with animals and coordinating with other animal trainers was something that clicked for me. And when I moved into sales, the skills translated. A lot of sales is educating and working with people. The education and people skills then linked up again when I started coaching the swim club. 

The research focus of a biology degree at Westminster also had a big impact on my career. I had the opportunity to go to a national undergraduate research conference and educate, present, and talk to people there. There were a lot of opportunities at WC that helped enhance my passion for education and working with people. 

Did you have a favorite spot on campus when you were a college student?

As a member of the Westminster Titans Swim Team, if I wasn’t in the pool, I would be at Brittain Lake. We referred to it as the beach. My friends and I would often hang out and play catch at “the beach.” But also, I met my wife and fellow Westminster alumni Janelle (Grasso) ’14 in the biology department, so that holds a special place for me. 

Since starting the swim club in 2016, Coach Slobodnyak (pictured with his wife, Janelle, and their three children) has grown the program into one of Western Pennsylvania’s premier swim programs. Slobodnyak has also enjoyed coaching successes for several high school swim teams in the greater Pittsburgh area. He has coached 12 national qualifying swimmers and additional athletes who have competed across all three NCAA divisions. 

This year marks Coach Slobodnyak’s first season (2024-2025) as head coach of the Westminster College men's and women's swimming and diving programs.

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