Moorpark College has one of the top Exotic Animal Training and Management programs, which is the only hands-on program in the country. It is only natural for such a well-established program to produce some of the finest individuals in the field. Bill Wolden and Margaret Rousser are just two of them.

“The Exotic Animal Training and Management program at Moorpark College was entirely instrumental to getting to where I am now,” said President of IMATA and MC Alumni Bill Wolden. “EATM provided me with the opportunities to learn how to become an animal trainer and to meet professionals in the field.”

Both Wolden and Rousser graduated from the EATM program and have gone on to be established professionals in their field. Wolden has been involved with the International Marine Alliance and Trainer Association (IMATA) for over 22 years. He won the first place People’s Choice Award for the organization at the 2011 IMATA Conference. Rousser is involved with professional organizations and will be assisting Dr. Patricia Wright’s preservastion efforts in Madagascar this summer.

“I feel like I’m truely making a difference,” said Rousser. “Not just for animal welfare, but also animal conservation in general.”

Wolden, 46, is the president of IMATA and is the Director of Training and Development at Dolphin Quest/ Dolphin Quest International. He has given several presentations at the yearly IMATA conference and has received an award for each one.

“[Wolden] has worked his way up in the industry,” said Department Chair Brenda Woodhouse.

Wolden received a bachelor’s degree in Biological Science from UC Davis before coming to Moorpark. He received two associate degrees in Animal Training and Wildlife Education from MC. .

Upon graduating, Wolden worked as a dolphin trainer at Dolphin Quest Hawaii. After four years he came back to Moorpark College, not as a student, but as a teacher. From 1996-98 he taught Animal Diversity, Education and Entertainment classes. He then returned to Dolphin Quest, an organization that educates and focuses on the preservation of marine wildlife. Dolphin Quest also allows visitors to get in the water with dolphins for a first hand experience.

“It was great to reconnect with students and to give them what I had received as a student there,” said Wolden.

One of his fondest memories of his time spent at Moorpark was the training of a rhesus macaque named Macgyver. He established a trusting relationship with the small golden primate and was able to take him for a walk on a leash.

“It was a moment where he and I connected and respected each other to enjoy the walk,” said Wolden.”It served as a moment that cemented my belief that the foundation for successful animal training is a solid respectful relationship with the animal.”

When Wolden isn’t enthralled with Dolphin Quest and IMATA, he is enjoying his hometown of San Diego with his partner Scott. Wolden has a seven-year-old shepherd-terrier mix named Harely, who goes with him to work every day.

Watching movies, working out, going to the beach and spending time with his friends and family are just some of the things he does in his free time.

“Life is too short and there’s always time to play and smile each and every day,” said Wolden.

Rousser, 41, is currently the Zoological Manager at the Oakland Zoo and President of Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA). She is a member of the Association of Zoo and Aquariums (AZA) and also Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums. She has published articles in Wellspring Magazine, Animal Capers Forum and Animal Wellness Magazine.

In addition to completing the 22-month-long EATM program, Rousser holds a degree in Anthropology from UCSB. She received her first job in the field the summer after graduating from MC, at the San Diego Zoo. She went on to work with dolphins at Discover Cove in Florida and then worked shortly at the Phoenix Zoo. She has been with the Oakland Zoo for eight years.

Rousser’s memories at MC range from the birth of baby camels to cold, sleepy night watches with EATM. Students would be up all night, where 6-8 people would take two to three hour shifts monitoring the animals and feeding the nocturnal ones.

“We had this horrible little bunk house,” said Rousser. “It was basically this big metal storage unit that they threw some army cots in.”

Before living in Northern California, Rousser grew up in the heat trap that is Riverside. Unfortunately for her, the nearest zoos were about an hour away in Santa Ana and Palm Desert.

She enjoys reading, going out with friends and spending time with her cat Setzer, named after the musician of the same name.

“I think it is important to have a balance between your home life and your work life,” said Rousser.

One should stay focused and treat the two-year program like a job, says Wolden. Take advantages of all opportunities that come one’s way. The EATM staff is crucial in finding a job. The aspiring EATM student should establish strong ties with the staff because they can introduce them with professionals already in the field.

Every year the competition for jobs in animal training and management go up. At the Oakland Zoo where Rousser works, three seasonal positions opened up for the summer and over 400 people applied. Persistence is necessary in pursuing a career in working with animals, says Rousser.

“The two years I spent in the EATM Program were the two hardest years of my life, but I think they were the two best years of my life,” said Rousser. “I have many friends that I made back then, that I still have now.”

Bill Wolden and Margaret Rousser are a testament to our prestigious EATM program and our College at large.