As an international honor society, Golden Key understands the importance of recognizing excellence both in and out of the classroom. To honor the dedication of our chapters, the Key Chapter Award was instituted to be presented to select chapters across the globe who exemplify outstanding […]
BE DRIVEN, You Hold The Key. This was the theme of our 2014 International Summit and it rang true for all of the superb attendees who have the drive and potential to make an impact not only in their communities, but also on the world. […]
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 the Undergraduate Achievement Scholarship to assist in the costs of higher education. This scholarship recognizes undergraduate members for outstanding commitment to the Golden Key pillars of academics, leadership and service. We are excited to announce the winners of the Fall 2013 scholarship, who are awarded $5,000 USD each.
The recipients (in no particular order) are:
Here’s what a few of the winners had to say upon receiving the award…
“I am very honoured to have been selected as a winner of the Undergraduate Achievement Award this year. I am a firm believer in Golden Key’s three pillars of academics, leadership and service and receiving recognition for my efforts in promoting this philosophy makes me extremely proud – not only in my own efforts, but also that of our committee at Flinders University, South Australia. I hope that others will be able to follow in our committee’s footsteps and enjoy the successes that comes from hard work and dedication. As I will be graduating soon, I am saddened by the fact that I will be stepping away from my leadership role, however, I hope to continue to be a leader in the workforce and beyond. Receiving this award gives me confidence that I will be able to do so. I cannot thank Golden Key enough for the personal and professional development opportunities it has provided throughout my university career, which have contributed to making me the person I am today. My endless thanks to everyone who helped make that possible.”
-Michelle Esterhuizen
“I am extremely honored to have been chosen to receive the Golden Key Undergraduate Achievement Award. I am from Orange County, California and am a fourth year History/Law and Society major at the University of California Riverside. This award will help me pay for my last quarter at UCR and will allow me to take a LSAT preparation course. I have been a member of Golden Key for three years and have served as the Public Relations chair and more recently as President of our chapter. I am incredibly thankful to be a member of Golden Key and truly believe in Golden Key’s three pillars. I am very grateful to my Golden Key Advisor, Emily Nudge, for encouraging me to apply and always believing in me. Thank you so much to Golden Key for this award!”
-Lindsay Anderson
“The news of being awarded the 2013 Undergraduate Achievement Scholarship Award by the Golden Key International Honour Society was received by my family, educators and I with immense elation and joy. I feel extremely privileged and honoured to have received this prestigious and generous accolade. Many thanks to the Golden Key International Honour Society for placing confidence in my academic abilities. I can assure this society that I will do the organization proud in my future academic pursuits as I aspire towards academic excellence. I would like to encourage my contemporaries to persevere in their endeavours and let us not but forget: A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, in the right direction. On this noble journey, let us all display commendable humanitarian characteristics in the name of righteousness, as I believe the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.”
-Irfaan Ganchi
“When I found out that I was the winner of the 2013 Undergraduate Achievement Scholarship Award I was beyond excited; actually I am pretty sure I did a happy dance. I have had many obstacles to overcome during my undergraduate studies and receiving this scholarship was a perfect reward for so many late nights, countless hours of stress and tears, and persevering when all I wanted to do was give up. Winning this award gives me a sense of accomplishment and pride and also means that I will be able to pay off some of my student loans. It is great to be recognized for my hard work and dedication not only to my academics but also my service and leadership. My membership in MacEwan’s Golden Key Chapter has been very rewarding. For the 2012/2013 academic year I served on the executive of our chapter as the Honorary Member Liaison. I was also able to be the co-producer of the Family Literacy Carnival that our Golden Key Chapter organized to promote reading among families in the city of Edmonton as well as some other volunteer events.”
-Stephanie Isben
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, […]
-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 […]
—This post was written by Haley Wadley, vice president of the University of Wyoming chapter—
From March 14-16, Region 8 held their Regional Summit at 7,200 feet in Laramie, Wyoming! Members from around the region gathered together to participate in an adventurous weekend that would turn out to be filled with memories, new friends and great ideas. Over the past year members of the Golden Key chapter at the University of Wyoming prepared to make this weekend as successful as possible so that members around the region could gather together and share their love for Golden Key and all of its amazing opportunities!
Friday was just the beginning to a great weekend as attendees came into town and begin registration at the Hilton Garden Motel, where the traveling members would be staying for the weekend. At registration gift bags filled with several different items were handed out to each attending member, including Golden Key merchandise and lots of other goodies. Members were given some time to settle into their rooms before meeting up with University of Wyoming members to be caddied to the Wyoming Union building where the Summit meetings would be held. Upon arrival, members were given a Golden Key bingo question sheet where they had to meet other members in order to get spaces blacked out. Examples include: ran a 5K race, been to Disney Land, has siblings and etc. The first 3 members to meet 5 other members who met those qualifications won a prize! It was a great icebreaker.
After the students spent some time getting to know each other, a brief introduction was given by the Region 8 HQ Representative, John Dingfelder, which welcomed students to Laramie. After getting members excited about the weekend ahead of them, John handed the stage over to Sara Axelson, the Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Wyoming and a Golden Key honorary member. As a keynote speaker, Sara shared some experiences she has had in her career and the wisdom she has gained. Mrs. Axelson left the members feeling enlightened, inspired and ready to be leaders in the community. A catered dinner was then provided to students at the Wyoming Union Building, so that they could have plenty of energy for the night’s activities that lied ahead.
After dinner, students retreated to the basement of the Student Union for a night filled with exciting entertainment including: a billiards tournament, karaoke, photo booth, ping pong, Xbox 360, and Just Dance! Not to mention the snow cones, popcorn, snacks, soda and dessert tables! All members engaged in some form of activity during the night and seemed to be enjoying themselves as there was constant karaoke singers breaking out air guitars and their own dance moves. The delegate mixer proved to be a good way for students to relax and have a good time!
On Saturday morning, members woke up to breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn Restaurant and late registration began. A good morning welcome was given along with a headquarters update as Golden Key members arrived at the Wyoming Union at 9am. Students learned about the availability of scholarships and new advancements being made at the Headquarters office. Students scurried off to participate in the first of three workshop sessions being presented. All workshops focused in on the tools and resources available to Golden Key members and how to utilize these resources in order to better yourself and your chapter. Some of the workshop topics presented were: Personal and Professional Development, Service and Careers, New Member Recognition Events, Attitude for Altitude and Diversity and Inclusion, Golden Key 101 and more. After the first two workshop sessions adjourned, members met for a catered lunch and another update from Headquarters before returning to the third and final workshop session.
Following the last workshop session, members took a little time to relax before getting started on the service project. Before coming to Laramie, chapters were asked to collect small toiletry items (shampoo, soap, toothbrush, mouthwash, & etc.) to be donated to the new Family Crisis Center located in Rawlins, WY. The crisis center is new and truly appreciated the donations. Then, members started making Brazilian jewelry. Yes, Brazilian jewelry with a Brazilian native. Members got a brief informative talk from a Brazilian native who discussed the nature of the beads. The money collected from the jewelry sales is given back to a small community in Brazil so that a traveling mammogram machine can be purchased to help with breast cancer diagnosis. Members enjoyed learning different styles of making jewelry and picking out their own colors, styles and then making their own bracelets and necklaces. Some members even purchased some of the jewelry made!
A break was given before the closing banquet for some free time to relax and freshen up. The closing banquet started around 6 pm with a delicious dinner at the Wyoming Union where students gathered to reminisce about the day and the memories made. Jason Thompson, a renowned speaker, gave an astounding keynote address, and left us with the message that, “success is when you have fallen down and STILL get back up to keep pursuing your goals and dreams.” This message left members in awe as they moved to the University of Wyoming Planetarium to watch the newly released film Frozen.
As suspected, the fun would not stop after Saturday night. Sunday morning members woke up to another breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn restaurant. Chapter meetings filled up most of the morning, with each chapter discussing their successes, what needs work, and what new goals to be made. Members, tired yet motivated, checked out and departed Laramie around 12 pm to return to their homelands and put to work their knowledge from their 2014 Regional Summit.
On behalf of the University of Wyoming Golden Key chapter and Regional Summit Committee we would like to thank the Summit attendees, volunteers, Caterings of Laramie, Hilton Garden Inn Motel/Restaurant, Golden Key Headquarters staff, workshops presenters and keynote speakers. This meeting would not have been a success without you and we appreciate all that you do.
Until next time, remember to Just Breathe and we will see you at Regional Summit 2015!
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 Danesha Winfrey, Council of Student Members (CoSM) for U.S. Region 2, The University of Memphis— Friday, 28 February 2014 Golden Key’s Regions 2 and 3 teamed together for our Regional Summit this year at Georgia State University, which is where […]
Make A Difference Day brought millions of people together on October 26, 2013 to help better our communities. All Golden Key chapters in the United States and Canada were encouraged to participate in this day of service. Golden Key chapters participated in 101 Make A Difference […]
Cincinnati Bell, the leading telecommunications company in the city of Cincinnati, OH, has announced that, as of October 1, 2013, Leigh R. Fox has assumed the position of chief financial officer for the company. Fox, a Golden Key honorary member and member of the Board of Directors, has been with the company since July 2001 and has held numerous roles in finance and accounting in the fields of network and operations, six sigma process improvement and product development.
The newly appointed CFO held the position of vice president of finance for Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions, the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, where he played a major role in the advancement of Cincinnati Bell’s former data center business, and he served as the company’s senior vice president of finance prior to the announcement of his new role. “‘Leigh brings not only a strong financial background but also broad strategic and operational experience to this role,’ said Ted Torbeck, Cincinnati Bell President and CEO. ‘His collaborative approach helps bring a variety of perspectives to the table and drives positive outcomes for our shareholders, customers and employees.'”
Congratulations to Board of Directors member Leigh Fox for his professional advancement, and we wish him the best in his new position at Cincinnati Bell!
Last year, Golden Key International Honour Society hosted its 8th annual South Africa Summit in Cape Town. Amongst the Golden Key members, alumni, advisors and honorary members in attendance, twenty of them receive travel grants to attend the conference. We would like to highlight these […]
GK SCHOLARSHIPS: Ather Sharif
GK Scholarships: Logan Thornton