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Dayne-Marc Chin Slick was raised to ask himself “How do I contribute?” He was also taught that a life of service to our fellow man, regardless of the specific career, is important. It is probably for this reason that Dayne-Marc decided to contribute to national development, through his career as an officer in our country’s foreign service. During his almost decade long career at Headquarters and an overseas mission, he has been an International Relations Officer, Head of Chancery, First Secretary and even acted as Chargé d’Affaires. Dayne-Marc firmly believes that it is important to add value wherever you are and whomever you are with. For him, the areas of international affairs, diplomacy, negotiations and strategic consulting with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are where he hopes to continue to contribute. Here is what Dayne-Marc told MENtions about his journey:

My upbringing in St Ann’s Village, Mayaro helped to shape the individual that I am today. My mother, being an early childhood educator at the time, encouraged me and my brother to explore our strengths and try our hands at all aspects of academia, sport and civic activity. We therefore read heavily, played sports, fished, took care of the kitchen garden, learned music, were cub scouts and participated in all aspects of Trinbagonian culture. One of the many blessings we experienced as children, was the fact that our house faced the beach. This helped to provide an adventurous childhood for us during the 90’s. While there may have been some challenges during the younger years, the understanding that circumstances could be worse, helped to give great perspective and a strong desire to persevere.

“The student who best exemplified the ideals”
After primary school in Mayaro, I went to (Our Lady of) Fatima College in Port of Spain. There, I was part of the rugby team for seven years, part of the Young Leaders Team, Model United Nations and Cadet Corps. In Sixth Form, I was made Head Boy and Head Prefect and was awarded the “Our Lady of Fatima College Cup” as the student who best exemplified the ideals of the College.

My desire to pursue studies in international politics and international relations was driven heavily by the fact that I was brought up in a home that encouraged questions and curiousity. Truth be told, I simply wanted to know how the world works and develop a deeper understanding of the theory of human political interaction and governance structures. This interest led me to read for a Bachelor’s degree in Government, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Global Studies at The UWI St. Augustine Campus.

As I progressed through my undergraduate and post graduate studies, I wanted to learn more and identify the threads that influence political decisions and global ideas, fuel international development and ultimately impact all human beings. These matters kept my interest during the course of my studies. I may not have found all the answers but I was able to explore these questions even more in my professional environment.

Great life lessons and contributing to the global good on behalf of T&T
After studying international affairs and then moving on to be a practitioner in the field, I have come to understand that the text books you read as a student rise up to meet you and you quickly learn that nuance, circumstance and background foundational work, greatly influence theory. Quite often, the question “does or life imitate art or does art imitate life” presents itself.

One thing I have realised in my professional journey is that as humans, we naturally enter most organizations or environments with preconceived notions. But, when the curtain is drawn, we become better informed. There have been many moments of enlightenment and disappointment, which I later realised, were in fact great life lessons. In each task or role, I believe that I have contributed to work that has fulfilled me personally and professionally. There are moments when I sincerely felt I had contributed to the global good, on behalf of Trinidad and Tobago. When this happened, I quietly celebrated each moment and moved on to my next assignment as I firmly believe that “the only way is forward”.

While it may be too early for me to think about the end of my foreign service career, I will like my legacy to be that I served proudly and that I did all that I could to help build and advance our nation in my small way.

“I hope that we begin to see the value in all careers”

In my relatively short life, I am blessed to be guided by a couple mentors, who have now become advisors, in my both my personal and professional lives. Many of them have known me for more than half of my life.

Mentorship, advising and coaching are important and I do wish that more men, in particular Afro-Trinbagonian men, will seek sound advice and counsel when required. There are sufficient role models and mentors for black men but quite often, we do not allow ourselves to see those persons as role models and mentors. We have placed worth on specific careers and persons of specific social standing. This approach causes us to culturally disqualify individuals who are eminently placed to be viewed as a role model or mentor. For many years, I have wished that we are able to see the heroes and mentors in our local communities so that what may seem as intangible successes, are within grasping distance and that our young black men will use these as milestones by which to measure their growth and motivate them to succeed in any field/career they choose. I also hope that we begin to see the value of all careers and encourage black men to continue to seek excellence in their family, professional and spiritual lives.

I will also like us, Trinbagonians, to remove the boxes that we have built for the lives of young men, and young black men in particular. There are careers outside of the traditional fields that offer great opportunities for young people. We need to value those careers and the people who choose to pursue alternative career paths so that our young men are able to pursue their passion and continue contributing to building our beautifully diverse society and nation. I do hope that the young men who follow this platform, are able to see the many career options that are now available to them.

Explore!
To the young man who may not have selected his career or is still experiencing doubts, I want you to continue to explore. Explore professions, explore ideas, explore what interests you and explore what bores you. The internet is constantly at our fingertips and libraries still exist. Search until you find something that interests you and then explore it further. There is nothing wrong with beginning on one path and finding your real career along the way. We tend to believe that everything must happen at once and that the dream career will immediately appear, but we forget that things take time, dedication and discipline.

In addition to his work in the foreign service, Dayne-Marc is a member of the United Nations Association of Trinidad and Tobago and has served on its executive on more than one occasion. He is a strong advocate for civil society and community work and when possible, still offers his time to these issues.