Grambling State University’s Golden Key International Honor Society recently inducted 74 students and four honorary members. Membership into the GSU chapter of Golden Key is by invitation only and is extended to the top 15 percent of juniors and seniors. Dr. Robert Dixon, GSU provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, was the guest speaker. Dr. Connie Walton Clement, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has been serving as the adviser for the last two years.
She said, “Now celebrating 30 years as an organization, our student members, advisers, board members and staff have unveiled a new declaration of our mission, values, vision and strategic objectives to keep in line with our continuing commitments, while reflecting our international presence and our hopes for the society’s future.”
Eunice native and chemistry major Rachel Hickerson said that she joined Golden Key because it is an international organization and for the many benefits afforded to its members.
“Golden Key has scholarships that are exclusive to its members,” she said. “Also, this organization offers internships and job opportunities and is a great bridge to graduate school.”
Another chemistry major, Kourtney Sherman, said, “It was an honor to become a member of this organization.” Sherman is a junior from Benicia, Calif.
Dr. Sarah Dennis, Masters of Public Administration coordinator/instructor, was one of the four honorary inductees. She said it was an honor to be nominated by students.
“Approval of their students is the appreciation faculty members enjoy,” Dr. Dennis said.
“It really made me feel my worth here as a faculty member. It made me feel appreciated by the students that I teach. I accomplished a goal that I set and that is to educate our students,” she said.
On hand to lend support to his players was former GSU head basketball coach, David Ponton. “I always stress to the players that they should put academics first. I tell them that if they cannot be successful in the classroom, then they cannot achieve success on the court. We want them to excel on and off of the court. I try to attend as many student-related events as possible, especially when students are being honored for their academic achievements.”
Golden Key International Honor Society was founded by a group of highly motivated undergraduate students on Nov. 29, 1977.
Since its founding, over 1.7 million students been inducted as members of Golden Key in nearly 350 chapters throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.
Clement said Golden Key has seen a lot of changes in its nearly 30 years, but one thing does remain the same: the dedication of delivering tangible value to student members through outstanding benefits.
“We call this the Golden Key Advantage. To stay current on all Golden Key partnerships and offerings, inductees have to update their member information regularly. In addition, they should become familiar with the Society’s Web site, www.goldenkey.org, and visit it often for new and exciting offers,” she said.
Some of the major benefits you can enjoy right now include:
– Scholarships totaling over $400,000 annually, for undergraduate and graduate studies.
– Golden Key’s Career Library powered by Vault.com.
– GK Career Link, where members can post resumes and seek job postings.
– Access to internships and full-time positions from Golden Key’s corporate partners.
– Information on upcoming local chapter activities and community service events.
– Leadership development and community service opportunities.
– Networking with over 1.7 million undergraduate and alumni members.
– Member-only discounts for GEICO car insurance, The Princeton Review graduate review courses, Sallie Mae student loan consolidation, and many more.