Golden Key member Estefan Pieterse is working on his master’s degree in Microbiology and Physiology from the North West University Potchefstroom campus. 

“My sister did a school project with bacteria when I was about 11 years old, and that sparked my interest in Microbiology,” reveals Estefan. “I always wanted to be a scientist.”

Estefan joined Golden Key in 2017 and feels that it has provided him with a new skill set for life and his profession. 

“Because of my busy schedule, I didn’t really participate in physical events that the Golden Key hosted at my university,” says Estefan. “However, I did make use of the webinars and online conferences, and I learned a lot through them. I also wrote an article for the Golden key blog about Anxiety and how to cope with overthinking.”

Estefan is currently working a temporary position at Mediclinic. He ensures patients arrive on time for their procedures, screens patients, works as a porter, and screens staff, among other tasks. 

“I am also involved in offering emotional support to families when they lose a loved one or when they receive bad news,” says Estefan. 

Estefan says, “Seeing people being discharged after weeks in the hospital, knowing that I’ve been a part of their journey” is the best part of his job. 

In 2019, Estefan was selected to present at a conference in Tromso, Norway, that positively impacted his life. 

“Their way of life is so different from ours,” Estefan reflects. “It made me realise that your dreams should scare you because then they are worthy of your time and energy. And without that trip, I would still be too scared to take a leap of faith.”

While Estefan has had his blessings in life, he has also had his share of challenges. 

“A couple of years ago, while I was busy with my honours degree, my mom had to go in for a back operation,” says Estefan. “She had complications during the surgery, which led to a bubble formation in her brain, which in turn led to meningitis. We almost lost her; she even had to learn how to walk again. It impacted me greatly because I am very close to my mom, and I had to focus on my research and work at the same time. But I had a great support structure that helped me get through it. And even in my mom’s state, she still encouraged me through every trial, and I’m blessed to say that we both got through that dark season alive, happy and healthy.”

This dark season taught Estefan many life lessons and made him grow as a person.

“It’s okay not to know,” Estefan reveals. “We always think that we need to have everything figured out. But as I grow older, I realise that nobody really knows what they are doing or where they are going, and that is fine. Just be on your way somewhere, even if you don’t know the destination, just enjoy the journey.” 

Every day we make a million decisions: to have cereal or a muffin, to take a right instead of a left, but some decisions have more weight and impact on our lives than others. Golden Key member Mohammed Abu-Dalhoum is a firm believer that our choices significantly affect our lives. 

“I always think that wherever we are in our lives, our decisions have an impact on that,” Mohammed reveals. “I believe I owe a lot of where I am now to my decision to enroll in King’s Academy, Jordan’s best high school. I actually had to repeat 9th Grade to be admitted, but that was the best decision in my life. It is where I learned English; it is where I received incredible education, where I met great peers, and it is the reason I was able to move to the United States and get my BA and MA at great universities.”

Mohammed earned his bachelor’s in International Studies and his Master’s in Conflict and Conflict Resolution from George Washington University. He has been a member of Golden Key since 2019.

“I have been very fortunate to be a member of Golden Key,” Mohammed says. “I have learned a lot from the stories I have read online. Golden Key has countless tremendous members who have all achieved great successes in their lives, and it is always great to read their stories, follow their updates, and learn from their experiences.” 

“I especially appreciate how diverse and globalized it is so that we get to see updates from all around the world, in many different fields, at different stages in their careers.”

During Mohammed’s first year of college, he lost his father. Four years after his father’s passing, he lost his older brother, who was one of his strongest supporters in life. 

“Dealing with these two instances changed me forever, especially my brother’s passing,” Mohammed mentions. “He worked in foreign service, which was actually my dream career, and after that, I changed my mind about the whole career. It turned me away from it. I also think that since that, I have changed my work style. It pushed me further to start MENAACTION and push on every task within it. We really never know how much time we have, so now I take my life with an approach of ‘now or never.”

After completing his studies, Mohammed and a group of friends created MENAACTION, a nonprofit that advocates for Middle Eastern youth rights, by focusing on policy, advocacy, democracy and human rights.

“I started seeing trends specific to youth,” Mohammed explains. “They generally vote at higher rates than the national average. When they engage in protests or demonstrations (such as during the Arab Spring and beyond), they tend to call for reforms that are important and relevant to the grander society, not exclusive to their own needs. It really shows that they are really the candidates we want to represent us in decision-making.”