Stephany Benchener volunteered her way to the job of her dreams. She plays and works with sea and river otters as an aquarist at California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Animals have always been part of Stephany’s life; her home is filled with pets—cats, dogs, fish and even a snake. When Stephany headed to college in Monterey, Calif., she immediately volunteered at the aquarium.

“I wanted to be around animals and thought the aquarium was a neat place to volunteer,” she says.

Volunteering Pays
Stephany emphasizes the importance of volunteering. “You get experience with animals as well as discovering if you really want to do this job.”

Her volunteer activities took her all over the aquarium, including working with penguins and sea otters. She volunteered on weekends while working her regular job and attending college during the week. Her volunteer efforts ranged from watching the animals to cleaning cages to feeding various aquarium residents. She arrived on time each weekend and always remained the entire time she was needed.

Not All Fun
Even a dream job isn’t all fun and games. “It’s dirty work,” Stephany explains. “We have to clean up after the otters, which includes otters in separate tanks away from the exhibit. It’s a steady round of feeding and cleaning all day long.”

During a typical day, Stephany first checks the computer records, then her voice mail messages. Next, she goes to the exhibit tanks for the first feeding. The public can view three later feedings. Feeding is done by hand wearing thick gloves. Stephany throws the food to the otters but never directly into their mouths because of their strong jaws and sharp teeth.

After each public feeding, Stephany walks out to the audience to answer questions. “This is one of my favorite times, “ she says. “The children ask all kinds of questions!”

Totally In Charge
A new exhibit at the aquarium called “Wild About Otters” has both sea otters and freshwater otters. When the freshwater otters arrived, Stephany was totally in charge before they were publicly displayed. The otters were housed in a different facility for more than six months, with Stephany being responsible to feed, clean and train them in preparation for their public-viewing debut.

FAST FACTS
How many digits in a paycheck?
Pay depends on the level of previous experience, training certification and college degrees. An average entry-level position would average $25,000 annually.

Hey, I think I could do this!”
Do you . . .
• love animals?
• enjoy sea creatures?
• think you can handle hard, dirty work and long hours?

Making It Happen
• Focus on math and science classes.

• Major in marine biology, oceanography or ecology in college.

• Volunteer to do the work you’re most interested in. Stephany really wanted to work with otters. Michelle Jeffries, Associate Curator of Mammals at the aquarium, says, “I watched her dedication to her volunteer job. That’s when I decided I wanted Stephany as an assistant aquarist.”

Wise Words
“Working here gives me a feeling of doing something good, of being involved in God’s world. I’ve learned so much about myself and animals as a result of this job, plus I have an important part in saving otters.” —Stephany Benchener