From 11-13 April 2014, many Golden Key members from about 70 chapters came together to participate in service activities for Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), the largest weekend of service in the world. GYSD was created to engage young people ages 5 to 25 years […]
Golden Key’s scholarship recipients embody the pillars for which Golden Key stands and we are delighted to assist them in making their dreams a reality. Succeeding in higher education and helping students reach their potential is at the core of Golden Key’s mission. We created […]
Golden Key’s scholarship recipients embody the pillars for which Golden Key stands and we are delighted to assist them in making their dreams a reality. The Golden Key Graduate Scholar Award supports members’ post-baccalaureate study at accredited universities anywhere in the world. It is our premier scholarship, awarding $10,000 USD to each recipient. We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Fall 2013 award.
The recipients are:
Here’s what a few of the winners had to say upon receiving the award…
“My vision is to become a Family Nurse Practitioner; however, these last few weeks I was undecided if I should pursue my Family Nurse Practitioner program due to financial reasons. I am almost done with my Doctor of Nursing Practice. The Golden Key scholarship came at the right time! This scholarship is a validation for me to pursue and achieve my goal in meeting the needs of the family, working collaboratively with family primary care physicians and other clinicians within the health care system. This is a platform that can maximize my role as an Advanced Practice Nurse to deliver a more effective and cost efficient healthcare delivery models. In a larger perspective, this scholarship will allow me to be a part of, contribute, and lead in forming solutions to a complex and uncoordinated health care, not only in the USA but globally. Thank you for awarding me the 2013 Graduate Scholar Award.”
-Analiza Baldonado
“It is truly an honour to be selected as a recipient of the 2013 Graduate Scholar Award; representing my previous academic institution (University of the Witwatersrand), home country (South Africa), and other development driven young leaders across Africa. I’m currently studying towards an MBA in International Management at the University of Dundee, UK. Being a recipient of this award is a milestone and also an important event for my personal development. It will assist me in pursuing my academic program and ultimately work towards my dream of accelerating socio-economic development in Africa. Thank you Golden Key, continue believing & investing in our leadership capacity and academic development.”
-Phillip Mogodi
“Since I have been studying in Canada as an international student, the tuition fee has been always a big, problematic, and tough issue for me to overcome. I was actually going to stop studying in Canada and go back to Korea to work to pay my tuition fee, but this award literally saves my 2014. This amazing award revitalizes my time pursuing my study in Canada. This award makes me believe that a desiring time of hoping to study is always worthy to keep in the mind in one’s life. For this precious opportunity to keep studying with this scholarship, I can finally gain confidence of completing my study at the MFA program of Concordia University and making my future films as a cinema director.”
-Sun Young Kang
“I began full-time academic studies at the Stanford University School of Medicine in the summer of 2011. With the support of the Golden Key Graduate Scholar Award, I will be able to continue my service to the community and research efforts while I complete my academic studies in pursuit of a career focused on improving human health through patient care, medical research, and education as a physician-scientist. I am very grateful and honored to have received this award, and I am excited to be able to continue my scholastic efforts at a high level as a member of Golden Key International Honour Society.”
-Eric Anderson
As the tuition-free college education debates continues to be a popular topic of discussion, some states have proposed the concept of providing free tuition for community colleges as a means to provide incentive for young people to strive for a higher education. Some are worried […]
We’re proud to announce a new collaboration with Collegefeed, an innovative platform that proactively connects users with company insiders at 500+ organizations for jobs and internships. Effective immediately, Golden Key’s two million active members will get exclusive access to a wide range of Collegefeed services, including rich, data driven […]
The job hiring process is an intricate procedure– there is no one proven method that employers abide by. One employer could be most captivated with your college GPA or your extracurricular activities while another may be more interested in your internships and experience. How do you know what to emphasize while you are being interviewed when you don’t know what they are looking for?
Stockholm-based employer branding firm, Universum, might have an answer. They have accumulated data and research that says that a strong majority of employers prefer a candidate that is a “cultural fit” within the company rather than the interviewee’s skills or experience. One reason for this is due to the many companies’ focus on improving attrition rates, or percent of employees who have left the business over a specific period of time, within the company. In other words, many companies aren’t looking for degrees– they are looking for the “right guy”– but how can the right guy be objectively measured? Don’t worry, Universum has covered that, as well. By identifying what companies are looking for in employees, Universum has been able to conclude the top five personality traits that employers look for:
1. Professionalism
This can be best summed up as one with the character of a professional. This includes: arriving on time, minding your manners/showing others respect and demonstrating a positive attitude. This is a characteristic that can be analyzed the moment a candidate enters the room.
2. High-energy
Also a trait that is clearly visible within the first thirty seconds of meeting someone, many employers are searching for an energetic, go-getter mentality to add to their team. A candidate can best demonstrate high-energy by showing assertiveness in an interview. Show that you are excited to be there– ask questions and be responsive to the interviewer.
3. Confidence
Considered to be the personality trait that candidates and employees are missing most, confidence embodies professionalism and high-energy. Whether or not you possess this trait is can be summed up in your body language. Do you stand up straight when you walk, are you handshakes firm and do you look them in the eyes? All of which are qualities of a poised individual.
4. Self-monitoring
Although this is not a quality that can be assessed on-sight, it is noticeable in a candidate’s resume and interview process. A self-starter of sorts, this personality type has the capability to work independently and without the guidance of direct leadership. To emphasize this characteristic, describe how self-motivation was crucial to a moment of success in your life.
5. Intellectual curiosity
An intellectually-curious candidate would be open to new challenges in the workplace. This trait, defined by problem solving abilities and the ongoing ‘thirst’ for new knowledge, is a strong indicator of how an individual will fare within the company. Those who possess intellectual curiosity are more likely to stay with the organization for the long term, thus contributing to the company’s attrition rate.
So the next time you’re preparing for an interview, don’t forget to think about how your attitude and experience fits within the company’s culture. Confidence is key!
For the last several years, Golden Key has forged a great partnership with NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The professionals within the field serve an integral role as Golden Key volunteers, honorary members and key supporters within the university community. This year, […]
Golden Key ran its Asia-Pacific Conference 2014: Think GLOBAL Act LOCAL from 13-15 February 2014 in Hobart at the University of Tasmania. Approximately 150 delegates from around the Asia-Pacific region participated in a range of high-profile speakers, panel discussions, professional development workshops and networking events. […]
-This post was written by Liliana Zubia, Golden Key University of Texas at El Paso Chapter President-
Regions 7 and 9 headed to west Texas for the 2014 Regional Summit from February 21-23. The annual meeting was hosted by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) chapter. This year, UTEP is having ongoing Centennial celebrations in honor of its 100th birthday and we were beyond thrilled to share this important milestone with our delegates.
The Regional Summit was full of excitement with 64 delegates joining us from Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and Texas. We were happy to see a few familiar faces from last year’s Summit and we were pleased to meet all of our new guests. We were also delighted to have three Associate Directors from Golden Key HQ, Sareena Helton, Melissa Decell and Jordan Lyons, join us for the weekend.
Regional Summit 2014 started on Friday afternoon with registration at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel. The Opening Session was held in the evening in the hotel’s Del Norte Ballroom. We served hor d’oeuvres while our guests mingled amongst themselves and got to know each other. Then everyone was officially welcomed with an entertaining welcome address by the chapter president and chair of planning committee, Liliana Zubia. After that we were split up into groups and participated in a fun ice breaker called the Human Knot. We then had our wonderful keynote speaker, UTEP President Diana Natalicio, deliver a great motivational speech that was about us unlocking our potential. After Dr. Natalicio’s speech, we were split up into groups again and participated in another competitive ice breaker that involved building blocks. We closed out our evening with a raffle and some announcements about the activities we had planned for the next days.
On Saturday, after breakfast, we started off our day by doing community service around El Paso. The delegates were split into three groups that went to three different locations. The first group went to the Rescue Mission of El Paso where they helped sort and organize goods in the pantry. The second group went to Polly Harris Senior Center where they helped set-up for an event that the center was holding that day. The last group went to YWCA Transitional Living Center where they helped with various housekeeping tasks around the building, which included moving heavy furniture, sorting arts and crafts materials, and organizing children’s books.
In the afternoon, the guests were transported to the UTEP campus where we ate lunch and had our headquarters updates presentations in the College of Business Administration Building. We stayed in the business building and had four 1-hour block workshops in three different rooms, for a total of 12 different workshops and roundtables. Workshops were conducted by delegates from the various chapters that attended Summit. After the workshops were done, we escorted the delegates through the UTEP campus back to the Hilton Garden Inn.
In the evening we held the Closing Session at the Coronado Country Club. After a long, busy day it was certainly rewarding to hang out at this beautiful venue overlooking El Paso’s striking skyline! Awards were given to various chapters by our Associate Director, Sareena Helton, and everyone dined after the awards were given out. Dr. Donna Ekal, UTEP Associate Provost of Graduate Studies, was our keynote speaker for that night and her speech was about the various steps we have all taken to get to the place that we’re at right now. After Dr. Ekal’s speech, the UTEP Golden Key chapter inducted two new Honorary Members to our chapter – Mrs. Hetie Houghton, accounting professor, and Mr. Jaime Mendez, Director of Student Support Services Center. A special award was then given to the UTEP Golden Key chapter by Sareena and Melissa for hosting Regional Summit. To end the evening, we had another raffle and we treated our guests to a fun Latin dance lesson. It was so much fun; everyone had a blast!
On Sunday we culminated the Regional Summit by giving our guests the freedom to explore El Paso. One option was to take a campus tour that gave a little more insight about our beautiful, Bhutanese inspired architecture. Other options were going to the Wyler Aerial Tramway, the El Paso Desert Botanical Gardens, and shopping at the outlet malls.
Overall, Regional Summit was a complete success. For this, I would like to thank all the delegates for making it extra special with their presence. I personally would like to thank Sareena Helton and Melissa Decell for their solid support throughout the planning of this event. And a heartfelt thanks goes out to my team, UTEP GK advisors and officer board, who put a ton of effort into this and dedicated so much into making this event the very best possible!
Don’t miss the Golden Key 2014 International Summit from 31 July – 3 August in Boston. For more information and to register, visit www.is.gd/summit14.
—This post was written by Erik Graybill, the president of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Golden Key chapter— From March 14-16, Regions 4, 5, and 6 held their 2014 Regional Summit in St. Louis, MO. I just want to start off by saying…WOW that was […]
GK SCHOLARSHIPS: Ather Sharif
GK Scholarships: Logan Thornton