We would like to recognize the University of Missouri- St. Louis chapter as a Key Chapter recipient for exemplifying outstanding achievement in service and leadership development for the 2012-2013 year.
The University of Missouri- St Louis chapter participated in a wide variety of events and initiatives. Some of these included: a canned food drive that raised $200 in goods for Operation Food Search,  making blankets for children in a local homeless shelter and delivering doughnuts to staff members of the university. The Golden Key chapter also attended the True Colors workshop, which is a leadership training program to help understand one’s own personality and the personalities of others in order to explain how to better communicate and work with these people and why diverse personalities are necessary. Based on a person’s primary and secondary colors, the chapter members were shown a breakdown of how actions are rationalized in their own minds and how it is perceived by the person on the other end. The event was an amazing success- they had a great turnout, active participation and several members expressed great interest holding an officer position the upcoming semester upon completion of the workshop!
They also participated in the Undergraduate Research Symposium, which is an academic event that has been hosted by the University of Missouri- St. Louis chapter since 2002. The event is meant to furnish a venue for undergraduate students to present their research/work as they would at a professional conference. The main objective is to help students achieve their academic goals by creating an opportunity to refine their communication skills and network with scholars and for faculty to express support for furthering student research. The event is open to the entire campus and several university departments co-sponsor the event, which encourages friends, family and fellow students to attend, as well.
Congratulations to the University of Missouri-St. Louis for their continued success and being named a Key Chapter winner!

In continuance of our Key Chapter Winner blog series, Golden Key would like to spotlight the University of Alberta chapter for the outstanding activities and events that their chapter participated in during the 2012-2013 academic year. Some of these events included blood drives, T-shirt design contests and food drives.

Of the many chapter events that the University of Alberta chapter participated in, one occasion in particular stands out amongst the rest- two years ago they started the Vitalus Benefit Concert and Silent Auction which has since become a project that they now consider to be the brainchild of their chapter’s fundraising committee. The first fundraiser they hosted in 2012 was to benefit the Little Warriors Foundation, a program that helps to provide funding to children in need of treatment, and it was a subtle success. This year, on April 8, 2013, the Golden Key chapter held the Vitalus Benefit Concert and Silent Auction as a fundraiser for the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, which is a hospital that specializes in pediatric care in the north Alberta area. Golden Key members, friends, family and members from the community gathered for the fundraiser, which featured more than 20 artists and performers as well as a silent auction for items donated by local businesses. The event supported a meaningful cause that is held dear to the hearts of the community and raised $3,400 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital to go towards providing more care and attention, as well as an overall quality of life, to patients.
Congratulations to our University of Alberta chapter for their dedication to serving the community and continued success! We wish you the best this upcoming fall!

The South Africa Conference Travel Grant awarded recipients $2,000 to cover their registration and assist with the cost of travel/accommodations to attend the 2013 Golden Key South Africa Conference in Cape Town from September 20-22, 2013. All Golden Key members that do not live in South Africa were eligible to apply by submitting an essay describing how attending the South Africa Conference will help them realize their potential and how they would share the information with their local chapter.  Golden Key is thrilled to award these grants to deserving members and assist them in expanding their horizons. The South Africa Conference includes amazing speakers, workshops, networking, fun social events and learning opportunities.
The winners, in no particular order, are:

• Chinwe Oriji, Rutgers University
• Christopher Walther, Pace University, Pleasantville
• Aristides Romero Moreno, Farmingdale State College
• Coulter Tallent, American Public University System
• George Ureke, American Public University System
• Aleesa Carrington, North Carolina A&T University
• Janis Davis Jones, Polk State College
• Necola  Charles, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix
• Devin Walsh-Felz, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Dan Bumblauskas, University of Missouri-Columbia
• Kevin Bessy, Ashford University
• Brandall Nelson, Brigham Young University
• Susanna Muradyan, California State University, Sacramento
• Svetlozar Miloshev, University of Massachusetts Boston
• Boon Wai Phuah, Monash University
• Eric Ngang, University of South Australia
• Kevin Tuyau, Swinburne University of Technology
• Zhenxinyu Zhang, University of British Columbia
• Andreas Qvale Hovland, Simon Fraser University
• Leandra Dumanski, University of Saskatchewan

Congratulations and have a great time in Cape Town!