Alice Nelson, a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S., reflects on a significant career decision after being called for a job interview at the University of Texas at Arlington. Faced with the choice of leaving her tenured position in Canada, where she has stalled in her career, or moving to the U.S. for a 'unicorn job' opportunity, she weighs her options. Ultimately, Nelson recalls her journey in the theatre world, with past struggles and eventual tenure, highlighting the complexities in making such a life-altering decision against a backdrop of political tension between the two countries.
I was feeling like one very, very lucky unicorn. I had to make a difficult choice: stay in my tenured job teaching theatre in Windsor, Ont., where my career was at a standstill or move to the U.S. to start over.
Seven years earlier, I was living in Calgary and had been working contract jobs as a theatre artist and educator. On my 40th birthday, I landed a tenure-track position as an assistant professor in the school of dramatic art at the University of Windsor.
When I told him I got the job, he smiled and said, 'I guess we're moving to Windsor.'"
Fast-forward to July 2024, I achieved tenure and became an associate professor. That same month, University Players, our students' mainstage, which gives them the opportunity to apply their training, was shut down.
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