We are excited to welcome a new Associate Director to the Golden Key team! Our Associate Directors are the liason between headquarters and the chapters on campus. Matt Miller is the new Associate Director for US Region 7. Get to know him better with this […]
As of 1 June, chapters have dedicated 21,928 hours, touched the lives of 18,616 people and raised $5,753.66 towards SPARK a Change since its launch in July 2014. These collective actions are impacting the lives of youth around the globe! (Chapter leaders, please remember to record […]
Anna McLeod joined Golden Key almost 15 years ago and has continued to embrace the networks available to members. As the Business Development Consultant and Product Manager for the Navitas Professional Internship Program, Anna has helped more than 1,500 graduates start their career. Additionally, she continues to inspire and mentor Golden Key members at a number of professional development events in Australia.
She has a background in the public, private and higher education sectors, with previous roles at the Department of Planning and Community Development and the University of Melbourne. We had the chance to speak with Anna and find out a little bit more about her.
Where did you grow up? Where do you currently live? I grew up in Ballarat and currently live in Melbourne.
What university did you go to and what did you study? I earned a Bachelor of Psychology at Federation University and Master of International Relations at Monash University.
When did you join Golden Key and for what reasons? I joined Golden Key in 2001 because I knew it would be a valuable network for life.
How has Golden Key influenced your career path? Prior to joining the Golden Key I was in a bit of a bubble focusing on my studies and social life but it showed me that there was a lot more to get involved in. It opened my mind to networking and learning more from others. Over the past four years of my career, it has been an extremely valuable networking channel and has opened the door for me to make lots of useful business contacts that have been beneficial to my current role.
What are you doing now? What is your job title? I am a Business Development Consultant at Navitas. My role involves helping international and local graduates start their career after university. At Navitas we do this via our work readiness and internship training programs including the Professional Year Program. I also get the opportunity to deliver career workshops to community groups, student societies including Golden Key and universities. When I graduated I found it difficult starting my career so, today I feel very privileged to be able to help others by sharing strategies and secrets for successfully navigating the Australian job market. I am really lucky because not everyone gets to go to work and love what they do every day.
What is the most exciting thing you’ve ever done? I think it would have to be a Round Square Association student exchange I did in England when I was fifteen. It was amazing. Not only did I get to see what life was like in another country but also joined an education delegation that traveled to France, Germany, Scotland and Switzerland and met with students from 25 other countries at the World Round Square Conference. A highlight of this experience was meeting His Majesty Constantine II, King of Greece. He was a friendly and fascinating person.
What is your proudest achievement? Over the past 6 years, I have helped more than 1,500 graduates start their career.
What motivates you? Success motivates me. I like to get things done. It means I work too hard but I can’t help it I love taking on a challenge and succeeding it is very satisfying.
What is the best advice you’ve ever heard? The short answer is this:
In the wise words of my husband, “Google it”
In the wise words of Taylor Swift, “Shake it off”
In the wise words of my boss “Don’t worry about what you can’t control just focus on being successful at what you are responsible for.”
What activities and hobbies do you take part in? I absolutely love cooking, trying different restaurants and wine tasting.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why? Spain or Vietnam because of the food or perhaps France for the wine and food.
What is a fun fact about you? When I was young my brother and sister used to pay me to not speak. I think the going rate was 20c for 30mins. And I like to skateboard…but I’m not very good at it.
This week we’ve announced the recipients of our biggest awards from fall of 2014: The Graduate Scholar Award ($10,000) winners The Undergraduate Achievement Scholarship ($5,000) winners The Education Debt Reduction Award ($5,000) winners Today, we’re excited to display the recipients of the remaining fall 2014 […]
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. The Golden Key Graduate Scholar Award supports members’ post-baccalaureate study at accredited universities anywhere in the world. It is our premier […]
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 2014 scholarship, who are awarded $5,000 USD each.
The recipients (in no particular order) are:
Mary Duffy, University of Saint Joseph, United States
Valentyna Kostiuk, Hunter College, The City University of New York, United States
Cassidy Latusek, South Dakota State University, United States
Stacy Philip, Texas Tech University, United States
MacKenzie Robertson, Simon Fraser University, Canada
Katherine Salazar-Noratto, Washington State University, United States
Bridget Sangster, Simon Fraser University, Canada
Katherine Vrantsidis, University of Windsor, Canada
Favour Akinjiyan, New York Institute of Technology, United States
Kelsey Ball, Oakland University, United States
Margaret Bullock, The University of Texas at Dallas, United States
Alexandra Fowee, Eastern Kentucky University, United States
Shelby Frantz, The University of Florida, United States
Katrina Lim, University of Victoria, Canada
Evan Manrique, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, United States
Colleen Murphy, The College of New Jersey, United States
Reva Ogle, Ball State University, United States
Prabal Dangol, Minnesota State University Moorhead, United States
Shalimar Delgado Perez, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Rio Piedras, United States
Yaeesh Sardiwalla, Dalhousie University, Canada
Derek Drozd, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, United States
Matthew Davis, Pepperdine University, United States
Katelyn Goettl, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, United States
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. We realize that many college students today require assistance repaying the investment they have made in their education. We are […]
Golden Key is thrilled to have two remarkable people as our keynote speakers at the 2015 International Summit in Surfers Paradise, Australia. Our speaker at the Opening Session is Michael Crossland. Michael Crossland is an extraordinary young man who has endured almost seven years of […]
Golden Key is thrilled to have two remarkable people as our keynote speakers at the 2015 International Summit in Surfers Paradise, Australia. Our speaker at the Closing Gala is Simon Griffiths, an engineer and economist turned social entrepreneur.
In 2007, after turning down his dream job offer as a corporate high-flyer, Simon moved from Australia to South Africa to immerse himself in his true passion: development aid. There he discovered that the biggest problem faced by NGOs and social entrepreneurs is a lack of funding. Since then he has launched three social businesses of his own, all focused on revolutionizing the way society thinks about and engages in philanthropy.
Simon’s latest venture is an ethical home products company. Its flagship product is Who Gives A Crap, an environmentally friendly toilet paper that uses 50% of its profits to build toilets in the developing world. Watch this hilarious video about Who Gives A Crap:
Simon is also well known for his work as co-founder of Shebeen, Australia’s first non-profit bar. Shebeen sells exotic beer and wine from the developing world with the profit from each sale supporting a project in that particular drink’s country of origin. His work has been covered by The Standford Social Innovation Review and The New York Times. In 2010 he became Australia’s first Fellow of The Unreasonable Institute, in 2011 he was recognized by The Age’s Melbourne Magazine as one of Melbourne’s Top 100 Most Influential People, and in 2013 he was shortlisted for Young Australian of the Year.
We can’t wait to hear Simon speak at the Golden Key 2015 International Summit! Find out more about the International Summit at www.is.gd/summit15.
As of 1 May, chapters have dedicated 16,408 hours, touched the lives of 13,417 people and raised $3,665.66 towards SPARK a Change since its launch in July 2014. These collective actions are impacting the lives of youth around the globe! (Chapter leaders, please remember to record […]