Golden Key works for academics and service
Although it is not well known among the students that populate the Utah State campus, the Golden Key Club is an international organization.
Melissa Schmidt, a senior in social studies teaching and club president, said students can be members by invitation only, and represent the top 15 percent of their academic class.
“The students invited to participate must pay an $80 membership fee to be official members of the club. Once they are invited and they’ve paid the membership fee once, they are members for life,” Schmidt said.
USU’s chapter has about 350 active members. According to the Golden Key website, Golden Key has over 375 chapters in seven regions. The international club has more than two million members worldwide.
Golden Key club meetings are held all around Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Bahamas and the United States, and all the students involved have a college GPA of 3.75 or higher.
According to the website, chapters are based on the campuses of top colleges and universities worldwide and foster a spirit of collaboration, leadership and service.
International associate director of the club, Joseph Villafuerte, said there are three pillars that the values and goals of Golden Key are founded upon: Leadership, academics, and service.
The club seeks to give these highly academic students the chance to learn valuable leadership skills, and encourages them to look up from their books once in a while and engage in creative, service-filled activities. Villafuerte came to Utah State to talk about the benefits of the club in October.
According to Villafuerte, the upcoming project that the members are most looking forward to is called the Champ project.
The Golden Key club is joining forces with the sociology department throughout the spring semester to work with high school students in Cache Valley. Each member participating in the service activity will be matched with a high school student to help prepare them for life at a university.
In April, the students will have a chance to follow club members around campus to see what college life offers, and to show them how they can also be academically responsible enough to merit an invitation to the Golden Key club.
Heather Hancock, a new member of the club and sophomore majoring in physical therapy, said she joined the club because “it looks really good on your resume, and it’s a fantastic way to tap into scholarships that most people can’t apply for.”
Hancock plans to apply for a graduate degree scholarship provided by the club, and also hopes to become an officer of the club. Schmidt said getting involved in club activities is really what helps a student’s resume. In the spring the club will be visiting assisted living centers, facilitating fundraisers, and hosting a 5k race.
“If you want to do community service, but don’t want to plan it, there are lots of opportunities for you,” Schmidt said. She also mentioned some of the activities the club has planned, including a bingo party and a scavenger hunt.
“I love getting to know other people, and you can learn a lot about leadership at the workshops,” Hancock said.
Schmidt said she was able to attend the Golden Key club international conference last year in Scottsdale, Ariz. She learned about marketing for the club, planning activities, how to develop organizations, received inspiration for service ideas and even went to a formal dance.
Schmidt said the club is hoping to help in funding six or more of the members to go to the conference this coming year. They are also having a benefits workshop at the regional summit in Colorado in March 2011.
Member benefits range from scholarships and development opportunities to jobs and internships.
“Getting a job after graduation is scary, and the success workshops we have are awesome for that. Through Golden Key, members are empowered with tools to help them realize their potential,” Schmidt said.
– kmarshall222@gmail.com