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YOUR FUTURE IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY

Andrea Lee

Andrea Lee has made Asia part of her life in many ways. A first-generation Canadian whose parents immigrated from Taiwan, Andrea travelled to Asia on her own during the summer following her high school graduation in 1987.

She spent two months soaking up the sights and sounds of Taiwan while studying Mandarin on the Yang Ming San Study Programme. It was not surprising that upon arriving at McGill University that fall, she chose to earn her degree in East Asian Studies with the intention that Asia would become an important part of her life.

Her personal and academic experiences helped her realize that she wanted to build relationships between Asia and Canada.

"I see myself as a bridge," she said. "I really feel like I have a unique perspective on looking forward into the future -- at what a multicultural globe would be like."

Andrea's presentation focuses on the excitement and possibilities for young Canadians, both personally and professionally, that could arise when they open and broaden their minds to Asia.

"I want to express the energy and synergy that is experience when one gets rid of the out of the box thinking," says Andrea with excitement.

Andrea believes that today's young people are the transitional generation and that in terms of future job opportunities, career paths and life experiences, young Canadians will have to be global in their thinking.

"Young people are citizens of the world and Asia will be an important part of their life," she says.

Andrea's own work, study and travel experiences in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Japan have shaped her outlook on her life and the world.

For example, Andrea was a participant on the McGill Study Abroad in China Program in Hangzhou Province during the summer of 1989. This proved to be a very difficult and turbulent time in China.

She was mindful, however, not to impose her values on her Chinese peers at Hangzhou University regarding the student demonstrations which swept the nation.

"I tried to be respectful of the fact that I was a guest in the country, even though it was tempting to help the student define what they were fighting for. This was their period of self-determination."

The program was ultimately evacuated following the events in Tiananmen Square.

Andrea's strong language skills played a key role in the evacuation of a part of the McGill Study contingent. This led to her being honoured with the McGill University Graduate Society Award for Service.

On the personal side, Andrea met her husband, a Canadian from Thunder Bay while working in Tottori Prefecture, Japan as a Coordinator of International Relations (CIR) on the 1992-93 Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET). Her husband who was also on the JET Programme now teaches Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine the the Calgary Board of Education.

"My friends laugh that I went all the way to Japan to find a Canadian husband," said Andrea jokingly.

Her year in Japan proved to be very interesting, both personally and professionally. Andrea describes her experience on the JET Programme as simply life-changing.

Professionally, Andrea has used her overseas experience in a number of way since returning to Canada. As a direct result of her experience in Japan, Andrea has worked as a JET Coordinator for the Embassy of Japan, in Ottawa; a Japanese language instructor with the Ottawa and Calgary Boards of Education; and in numerous freelance projects involving Asia and Canada - broadcasting, hospitality and translation to name a few.

Currently, Andrea works for Deloitte and Touche Executive Search. Her short-term goals include developing the Executive Search practice internationally. She says that people who work in multicultural environments, both in Canada and in Asia, have much to gain in addressing communication and cross-cultural issues that impact human resources, and she looks forward to making a contribution there.

In her presentation Andrea emphasizes that many opportunities do exist for young Canadians in Asia. It is just a matter of asking for the information and doing the research -- on the Internet, at the library, at the Embassies, etc.

She also conveys to young people that they do not necessarily have to go to Asia to make Asia part of their life.

"We are so privileged here in Canada living in a multicutlral society. There is so much Asian culture right here - food, art language - we can make Asia part of our everyday life," she said. "It is just a matter of seizing and embracing the opportunity."