Members participating in a Golden Key service activity.
Society offers ‘golden’ opportunities
By Sara Picard (BYU Daily Universe)
With fierce competition in the job market and for admittance to graduate school, students at BYU strive for any advantage to be set apart from the crowd.
Acceptance to the prestigious Golden Key International Honor Society bolsters resumes and provides useful scholarships.
Golden Key has almost 2 million members from more than 190 countries. There are more than 375 chapters of the society at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
The mission of the BYU chapter is to enable members to realize their potential through the advancement of academics, leadership and service.
Janae Kirkendall, a senior from Mission Viejo, Calif., majoring in psychology, said there are many benefits to being a member of Golden Key.
“It’s definitely helped with my resume,” Kirkendall said. “I’m applying to grad schools and it’s something I can put on there as something I’ve been involved in.”
Kirkendall explained the process of joining Golden Key.
“It’s an honor society for sophomores, juniors and seniors,” she said. “If you’re in the top 15 percent of your class, you receive a letter to join Golden Key. You have to be invited to join. There is an $80 one-time membership fee. The money is for member scholarships. I think that is something that people have a hard time with. When they realize it’s for scholarships and activities, then they realize it’s OK.”
Many students have received letters in the mail from Golden Key inviting them to become members.
Brandon Tholen, vice president of public relations for the BYU chapter, wants students to know the society is not a scam.
“A lot of students get letters of invitation in the mail for Golden Key but never do anything about it because they think it is a scam and they have never heard of the organization,” Tholen said. “Take a look into Golden Key. It is a legitimate Honors Society that is here to help you more fully enjoy the education you are getting right now.”
There are many opportunities afforded to those who decide to join the Society.
“Get involved,” Tholen said. “A lot of students are looking for things to put on their resumes and GK offers plenty of opportunities. We did a service project for youth at a juvenile detention center last week and have been working with Teach for America all semester on a big project.”
One of the best opportunities available to Golden Key members are scholarships.
Abby Blaisdell, a junior from Hillsboro, Ore., majoring in psychology, received one of the chapter scholarships.
“This semester, I was lucky enough to be chosen to be a recipient of one of Golden Key’s scholarships,” Blaisdell said in an e-mail. “The best part was as a recipient of the scholarship, I received the opportunity to plan and carry out a service project with the help of Golden Key. In carrying out my project, I have gotten to work on something I am passionate about, as well as benefit from the leadership and networking opportunities Golden Key has been able to offer.”
(see the original article at http://universe.byu.edu/node/12334)
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