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DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
The pursuit of higher education has taken a Fort Simpson woman to Alberta and southeast Asia and she hopes, some day soon, back home.

Shermayn Menicoche of Fort Simpson visited the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur while completing a six-week work and study course in Malaysia. - photo courtesy of Shermayn Menicoche

Shermayn Menicoche said post-secondary education is very important, especially considering a high school diploma is the minimum requirement these days for most jobs.

"It seems the bar is always being put higher," said Menicoche. "Education is the key to moving forward and having opportunities open."

Her opportunity to travel came earlier this year while she was working on her management degree at the University of Lethbridge. As one of the requirements for her minor in international management, Menicoche had to secure international work experience.

She decided to take a cross-cultural work and study exchange in Malaysia offered by the university. The course took Menicoche, 13 other students and their professor to Kuala Lumpur, the southeast Asian country's capital, for six weeks – from May 2 to June 15.

In Kuala Lumpur, the students were given work placements with a variety of businesses and organizations. Menicoche went to work at Scomi International, a company involved in oil and gas and transport engineering.

"It was really great, actually," she said about the experience.

At Scomi, Menicoche moved between the human resources, media and communications, and global training and development departments. The work culture in Malaysia is very different from Canada, she said.

In Canada, managers give specific instructions on what they want done. In Malaysia, the instructions are less direct and managers expect you to know what they want, said Menicoche.

The corporate structures are also very hierarchical with directions always coming from the boss down, she said.

Menicoche's trip, however, wasn't all work. Following the 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. workday, Menicoche would return to an apartment she shared with the other students before they would spend the evening exploring Kuala Lumpur and area.

"It's such a different culture," she said.

People in Malaysia tend to be very conservative, but also very friendly, said Menicoche, adding she tried to learn as much as possible about the culture.

Menicoche said she realizes if she hadn't pursued higher education she wouldn't have had the chance to go to Malaysia. She encourages Deh Cho youth to continue their education and to travel.

"You need to get out of your comfort zone," she said.

By going to other places, you learn to appreciate what's available in Canada, said Menicoche.

Her goal is to bring her experiences back to the North and use them to benefit communities, particularly her hometown of Fort Simpson.

Globalization is necessitating the need for people who understand their place in the world and how they can help other countries develop, said. Menicoche.

She said she decided to pursue a management degree because she wants to administer programs, but from a management level where she can influence change and be both a leader and a motivator.

She also said she wants to learn the most current management practices and use them to help bring communities forward, either through the private sector or First Nation governments.

Menicoche said she owes her success, in part, to her parents Lorayne Moses and Floyd Moses who pushed her to strive for more.

"Without their support, I wouldn't be where I am today," she said.

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