GK Scholarships: Drucil Tshimanga

Golden Key is enlivened to introduce Drucil Tshimanga, one of Golden Key’s 2020 Outstanding Member Award winners. Drucil studies a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of the Witwatersrand. She has also completed over 200 hours of work-based learning at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital.

“In short, this award is nothing short of a blessing and being a member of Golden Key has been one of the greatest gifts the universe could have blessed me with,” Drucil says. “I am humbled and would like to extend my most sincere gratitude to the Golden Key Board of Directors, Volunteer Leadership, Headquarter Staff, organizers, administrators, donors, and volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure that such an organization is kept afloat, so the funding opportunities like these exist.”

Drucil has a deep concern for helping others.

“I believe in the saying that a life lived in the service of others is a life well-lived, and that is one of the reasons I see myself growing as a healthcare provider,” Drucil explains. “Health is wealth, and enabling access to healthcare for those who need it will always be one of my greatest contributions to society.”

Drucil has wanted to be a member of Golden Key from the beginning of her college career and is proud to be a part of Golden Key.

“I first heard about Golden Key at orientation on my first day of varsity and because of the caliber of information which the Golden Key representatives imparted in me on that fateful day in addition to hearing about a young scholar who had no funding for his tertiary studies having got funding by virtue of being a member of Golden Key,” Drucil shares. “I knew then and there that I too wanted to be a member of Golden Key. I could relate because I, too, had no funding for my studies. I wanted to be a member because the three Golden Key pillars, academics, leadership, and community, were values that I, too, as an ethically inclined young scholar, strived to live out. I, too, wanted to be a member because of the prospects of having a mentor from Golden Key. I was excited about the prospects of joining Golden Key because it meant that I had something to work towards. It was one of my first goals as a new scholar in varsity.”

Drucil enjoys being active with Golden Key by watching discussions through Golden Key Academy.

“When I received the news that I had been selected as a member, it felt so surreal because I knew that my hard work was paying off,” Drucil says. “I knew that I could start using the resources to grow myself as an individual and learn how best to lead and to be one for the community because I got exposed to numerous summits and talk opportunities that also encompassed things like mental wellbeing and financial literacy.”

Drucil feels very honored to have received this scholarship.

“When I was informed that I did not get selected for the Undergraduate Achiever Scholarship, I thought I was done for, but to my surprise, a notification came in that I had been selected as the 2020 Outstanding Member Award,” Drucil explains. “It felt so surreal, it was so humbling, and I just could not fathom the news because of the extent to which I had to apply myself in order to become a member of Golden Key.”

She greatly appreciates the opportunity that comes with the Oustanding Member Scholarship.

“This award will go a long way in easing the financial burden at home,” Drucil reveals. “This award means that for once, I too will be like other students and have my course material and my school transport in order without casting a huge financial burden on my household.”

Thank you for being a part of the Golden Key family, Drucil; we wish you the best of luck with your education!