By: Tim Kelly, USITT Fellow
The Institute’s Fellows once again encourage Early Career Members to take advantage of a rewarding program designed exclusively for their membership category, the Early Career Mentoring Program. This will be the fifth year the Fellows are offering to personally and financially support two ECMs who want to attend the Conference and Stage Expo in Louisville. Over the past four years, it’s been demonstrated the $1,000 stipend and free Conference registration has made the difference between being able and not being able to attend.
Caisa Sanburg, an Assistant Professor of Lighting and Sound at Arkansas State University, was one of the two recipients of theprogram during the Fort Lauderdale Conference. Caisa was assigned Richard Thomas, one of the preeminent sound designers in the entertainment industry, as her mentor. In part she reports: “The first day, after the keynote, we (Rick and Caisa) attended the Mixing a Musical session. At the end of the day, Rick was kind enough to take me to two different receptions/dinners: International Reception and d&b Sound Educators dinner”
“What I was looking for in this experience was an “in” into the field of sound design and technology. The time spent with Rich was immensely successful. The contacts I made should be very useful in the future, whether as collaborators, resources, or potential employers. I can’t wait to build on this experience in the future.”
Brian Gregoire, Technical Director at the University of Montana School of Theatre & Dance, was the second Early Career Member to receive the program’s assistance. Joe Aldridge, former USITT President and one of the most knowledgeable practitioners of technical theatre in the country, graciously accepted the role of Brian’s Mentor. Brian’s post-conference report includes the following information: “I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to have been selected as a mentee to Fellow Joe Aldridge at this year’s USITT Conference. This experience was truly rewarding, and I look forward to growing my relationship with Joe and the USITT organization in the years to come”
“I was a bit nervous about meeting Joe for the first time. I felt like I was meeting a Hollywood star or some equivalency of that notoriety. I wasn’t sure what to expect. That all melted away when I met with Joe after the Welcoming Ceremony and Annual Meeting.”
“Even for all of Joe’s accomplishments and experience he was so amazingly approachable and down to earth. The guidance that Joe gave me, helped get me on the path of fulfilling my career goals if not accomplishing many of them in our time together at the conference. My experience being mentored by Joe was a truly great experience and I look forward to being able to continue building on it.”
At USITT19, the Fellows of USITT will once again offer support for two Early Career Members in the form of a $1,000 stipend to help with Conference expenses AND the assignment of a seasoned professional mentor. Application information will be found on line at: www.usitt.org/careermentoring. Special notices will be sent to all Institute current Early Career Members with an application deadline of Jan. 15, 2019.
