“If you love what you do you will never work a day in your life.” – Confucius

Zoe Gosnell is living proof of this motto. She has worked at Water Safari Resort for almost 35 years and in just a few minutes of speaking with her, it became clear that Water Safari was not just a place she worked but a second home where her coworkers had become a part of her family.

Zoe started at Enchanted Forest Water Safari as an office manager and over the years has become the Director of Administration, Admission, and Sales. However, during her time here she has done it all. Working as a cashier in Food Service, overseeing team member housing, assisting with sales, catering events, even performing in the circus! That’s right, Zoe used to perform in the Wheel of Destiny which is a very impressive circus stunt! At Water Safari, there’s never a dull moment, so Zoe embraces the challenges that come her way and treats them as great opportunities to learn and grow.

Always one to seize any learning opportunity that comes her way, Zoe also tries to teach the people she works with lessons they can use every day in the professional world. She does this by living by the golden rule and treating others the way that she wishes to be treated. Now, occasionally Zoe will receive phone calls from employees who worked at the park 20 years ago thanking her for skills they learned during their time at Water Safari that they use every day in their professional lives.

Due to the fun, fast-paced nature of working at Water Safari, Zoe says that every team member must work together to overcome the obstacles that they face. Through learning together and using teamwork, the staff of Enchanted Forest Water Safari is a close-knit community that she is proud to be a part of. Zoe says, “the people I work with have become essentials in my life.”

These “essentials” have taught Zoe many life lessons, the two that have stuck with her over the years are, that there are two sides to every story and that it is best to live life compassionately. Zoe believes that she has grown both personally and professionally during her time at Water Safari. A huge part of this growth has come from the friendship and mentoring of J. Richard Noonan, father of the founder and current owner of Water Safari, Tim Noonan.

Zoe is grateful for the opportunities that she has had since she began working at Water Safari. She is especially thankful for the experience of being able to watch her daughter grow up as part of the Water Safari family. Zoe’s daughter has helped since she was born, and as she grew, she used more and more of the advice that Zoe offered to her. Today, she is a nurse and still uses the lessons she learned at the park. To Zoe, Enchanted Forest Water Safari has not only been a place she works but somewhere she was able to watch her daughter grow into the incredible person she is today, a place where her second family lives, and a community that she is proud to be a part of.