In 2012, Celia Alves was a math teacher in Portugal: her life was stable; she had a house, a husband, and two kids. But Celia was pretty tired of her career; she felt burned out, and she knew that being a teacher forever was not something she was excited about.

Then, while some European countries were facing an economic crisis, her brother invited Celia and her husband to attend a job fair focused on immigration - specifically for New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. There, they discovered there was demand for her husband’s skills, and they decided to take the leap and move to Canada.

Although the beginning of this new life was not easy, they eventually settled and were happy - until circumstances changed and they were suddenly facing a deadline to leave the country. Since going back to Portugal was not an option for Celia and her husband, she went all-in on a study permit, started from scratch in a new field, and began rebuilding everything.

In this episode, we talk about the real cost of immigration - the fear, the paperwork, the setbacks - and the story behind Celia’s new career. While taking freelance jobs to help support her family, she honed her Excel skills and reinvented herself as an Excel specialist and community leader, which later landed her a job.

Connect with Celia

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Why the name “Transplants”?

I've always loved the meaning this word can have. To be a transplant is to carry one life while learning to live another.

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Connect with Transplants:

Follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/transplants.pod
Substack/newsletter - https://wearetransplants.substack.com/
Laura's IG https://www.instagram.com/laura_peruchi
Follow on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetransplants

Ep. 150: Foster the Family, with Jamie Finn