From Tenure Track to Twin Life
- Spanish Learning Edge
- Jun 11
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 19
Sometimes the path we didn't choose becomes exactly where we need to be.
Alternative Academic: A Spanish Educator's Journey
I was terrified about leaving the academic dream I had worked so hard for. The "Alt-Ac" route wasn't something I had intentionally planned—it was thrust upon me by circumstances beyond my control.
Picture this: freshly graduated from my Ph.D., married, with the tenure track race ahead and a gorgeous log cabin in Minnesota that felt like home. But reality hit a year after landing my first Assistant Professor role. My Fulbright scholarship came with immigration obligations I couldn't ignore. I had no choice—it was time to pay my dues.
So we did what we had to: put our beloved cabin up for sale, quit our jobs, and return to Mexico with our two dogs.
Coming Back to a Different Academic Landscape
Those years in Mexico were transformative. I spent precious time with family, experienced incredible food, and yes—survived a pandemic. We navigated bureaucracy, built our family (had twins!), and learned what it really means to live between two worlds. I gained invaluable insights about educational systems on both sides of the border and developed a deeper understanding of what heritage and non-heritage Spanish learners truly need.
When I began researching the current landscape for Spanish faculty, what I discovered felt like someone calling my name:
70% of adjunct faculty are over 40, and about half chose part-time roles specifically for family-oriented flexibility.
While exploring various academic forums and surveys, I kept coming across the same trends. There’s a noticeable gap between what resources are available and what we really need as university-level Spanish instructors.
We're managing multiple institutions, juggling proficiency levels, and working tirelessly to deliver culturally authentic, academically rigorous content. If you're like me, you're often creating everything from scratch.
More Than Just Resources
All of this made me realize there's a real need for Spanish university-level resources that honor our academic standards while respecting our time boundaries.
Then I also thought about what I wanted Spanish Learning Edge to be, and I declared: This cannot be just about providing materials—it's about validating a choice we've all made.
We are accomplished educators who said 'yes' to caregiving and supporting our families without saying 'no' to excellence in Spanish education.
Whether you stepped off the tenure track by choice, circumstance, or somewhere in between, you deserve university-level resources that honor your academic standards while respecting the goals and priorities you put in front of you when you chose the Alt-ac path—content created by someone who truly understands the late-night grading sessions, the multiple institution juggle, and that constant, beautiful balance between professional excellence and being present for the people we love most.
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P.S. - Whether you're adjunct by choice, by circumstance, or somewhere in between, you're not alone. There's a whole community of us creating our own version of academic life.
© Spanish Learning Edge. Angélica García Genel, Editor.
