Member Highlights

2010 CoSM South African Representative - Liz-Marie Basson

Liz-Marie Basson was selected to represent South Africa as the Council of Student Member Representative at the 2010 International Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. She has been actively involved in Golden Key activities since 2007. As the current chapter President at the University of Pretoria, she has the potential to motivate Golden Key student members to excel academically, develop their leadership skills and participate in community engagement activities at a chapter level. We wish Liz-Marie all the best with her duties as CoSM.

2010 Adams & Adams Golden Key Law Bursary Winners Announced

We are proud to announce the two winners of the Adams & Adams Golden Key Law Bursay for 2010. JJ Thiart, University of Stellenbosch, and Madiki Motsumi, Rhodes University, both received a R30 000 Law Bursary sponsored by Adams & Adams.

JJ Thiart JJ said, "This award truly means a great deal to me and will contribute substantially to covering my tuition. It has been hard work studying full time and supporting myself during the la Madiki Motsumi - Photo st two years. I would like to thank Golden Key for recognising students for their academic achievements and Adams & Adams for providing law students with this great opportunity."

Madiki shared the following: "I feel very honoured to have been selected as one of the winners of the Adams & Adams Golden Key Law Bursary! This is a great achievement for me as winning this award shows that the selectors saw that I have potential to become successful in the legal field."

Scholarship Winner - Elme Bekker

Elme Bekker Photo We want to congratulate Elme Bekker from the University of Stellenbosch for being named the winner of the 2010 Golden Key International Visual and Performing Arts Achievement Award. Elme said, "The achievement of this award is an honour and a boost of confidence to my emerging career. The decision to be a fashion designer is not without risk and winning this bursary indicates that I am on the right track with my designs and illustrations. I will use this award to buy a designated computer and software compatible to my trade and thereby significantly increase my productivity and the sophistication of my work."

NMMU GK President and Rhodes Scholar

Nozipho Hokonya is President of the NMMU Golden Key Chapter in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, where she has led the chapter in various activities throughout the course of the year. She took the lead with community service, literacy, and member and alumni engagement events. Under Nozipho's leadership the NMMU Chapter has this year recorded record breaking growth by doubling their annual membership. In March this year, she launched ''Academics Anonymous'' (AA) which is a free tutoring service, which targets first year students living in the residences. Nozipho believes that this initiative will assist the university to realize their vision of making the residences, areas of optimum living and learning.

She was recently awarded the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship, which is a Scholarship aimed at developing and enhancing leadership capacity in Africa. She recently had the great honour of meeting former South African President, Mr. Nelson Mandela, who congratulated her and other scholarship recipients on their achievements. Nozipho is passionate about the empowerment of vulnerable groups in particular women and children, and she hopes to one day establish a centre for children in disadvantaged communities, that will focus on educational and life skills development.

News from the Netherlands from Ansa Brink

Ansa Brink, former Golden Key Chapter President at the University of Pretoria and Student Leader of the Year winner in South Africa in 2008, shared some thoughts on her experiences studying abroad.

"It is a dream come true. I am currently completing a dual master's degree, MCom Econometrics at the University of Pretoria (UP) and MSc Economics at Tilburg University (UVT), Netherlands. Adapting to the lifestyle and spending in Euros did take some time but making new friends, attending new and exciting seminars and the opportunity to meet and interact with people from different cultures from across the world makes more than up for the VERY COLD weather, all the rain and the constant snow. My years at UP, has definitely been filled with great experiences. I’ve learned that the more you put into something the more you get out and if you attempt more, there is no real time for procrastination, which makes any time spent more efficient and effective. My two years on the Executive committee of Golden Key have taught me that anything is possible with motivation, determination and a strong support structure of family and friends and colleagues."

Council of Student Member (CoSM) South Africa Representative

It is an honour to announce that Stephan Gericke has been appointed as the Council of Student Member (CoSM) South Africa Representative for Golden Key. Stephan has a rich tradition with Golden Key and started when he was inducted as a new member at the University of Pretoria in 2005. He was named New Member Chapter Award winner, served on the UP Chapter Committee since 2007 in several position: Social Director, Chapter President and now CoSM.

We wish him all the best with representing the South African Golden Key members on an international level and we are confident that he’ll excel as always! CONGRAULATIONS, STEPHAN!

Student Leader of the Year 2009 Award Winner – Ryan Meintjes

Golden Key South Africa is proud to announce Ryan Meintjes as the 2009 Student Leader of the Year.

Ryan is currently a BCom Honours in Economics student and is completing his 4^th year LLB Degree. Ryan was also named the 2008 Sasol Golden key Award winner in the Law category. Under his leadership, where he is currently serving his second consecutive year as president at the North-West University chapter they had the most successful membership drive for 2009 and they also represented South Africa at the 2009 International conference at Orlando, Florida by claiming first place for the CitiZenShip Showcase. In his spare time Ryan enjoys participating in debating tournaments at the university.

He also partakes in various Law related outreach programs. He is the founder and chairperson of the Nutrisport Charity Organisation which aims to enhance longevity, healthy living and a well balanced life amongst disadvantaged communities. This organization also has members reaching out in England. Ryan is an ambitious young man who takes great pride in his work, he is also dedicated and passionate about what he does. He truly deserves this award.
CONGRATULATIONS, RYAN!

Golden Key New Honorary Members 2009

Rhodes University:
Ms Joyce D. Sewry Lecturer: Department of Chemistry

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University:
Mr Gary Paul- Senior Director: Human Resources, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University'; BA (UWC), Higher Diploma in Education (UWC); Tech (Technikon SA), MTech Cum Laude (NMMU)

University of Johannesburg:
Mrs. Labuschagne- Deputy Chief Education Specialist :Inclusion and Special Schools programmes
Dr. Luneta- Senior Lecturer Mathematics Education

University of the Witwatersrand:
Mrs. Helen Fraser- Children's Charity Project
Prof. Mamokgheti Setat- Executive Dean: College of Science, Engineering and Technology UNISA
Mr. Peter Maher- Director: Alumni Relations University of the Witwatersrand

North-West University:
Dr Pieter Kruger- Consultant Psychologist, LPP Consulting, London
Prof Linda Theron- Lecturer in School of Education Sciences (VTC)

University of Stellenbosch:
Ms. Esther Carmickle Ramusi- Community Worker & Business Woman
Rudi Buys- IGUBU leadership & Motivational Speaker
Dr. Wynoma Michaels- IGUBU Leadership & Physicist

University of the Western Cape:
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu- Chancellor: University of the Western Cape
Prof Lorna Holtman- Director: Postgraduate Office
Prof Christopher Tapscott- Dean: Economic and Management Sciences
Prof Vivienne Bozalek- Director: Teaching and Learning

University of Cape Town:
Judge Dennis Davis- Judge of the High Court of South Africa; Judge President: Competition Appeal Court

Cape Peninsula University of Technology:
Mr Samuel Henkeman- Manager: Transformation
Mrs Nandipha Madadasana- Alumni: CPUT

University of the Free State:
Prof Jonathan Jansen- Vice-Chancellor: University of the Free State
Dr Choice Makhetha- Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students
Prof Ronell Britz- Chairperson for the Centre of Accounting
Dr Sanet du Toit- Lecturer: Occupational Therapy Department

University of KwaZulu-Natal:
Ms Carol Mitchell- Psychology Lecturer, UKZN
Mr Avishkaar Ramdhin- Law Lecturer, UKZN
Mr Sam Abrahams- Chairman of the Victor Daitz Foundation

University of Pretoria:
Prof Robin Crewe- Vice-Principal: Research and Postgrad Studies, UP
Prof Daan Gouws- Professor: Dept of Financial Management, UP
Prof Niek Grové- Registrar, UP
Prof Ramaranka Mogotlane- Vice-Principal, UP
Mr Kennedy Gihana- Attorney
Dr Michael Mol- TV Presenter, CEO: Sportron, MD and Motivational Speaker

Two 2009 Chapter Service Awards to South African Universities

University of Pretoria – US$1000.00

The Golden Key Pretoria chapter has been actively involved in their community for the past 3 years. They believe that through long term investment within a community, change is possible. Their projects aim to uplift and empower less fortunate individuals to create a better future for themselves. The chapter received an award of US$1000 to assist them in continuing with their initiatives. Well done!

University of the Free State – US$1000.00

Congratulations to the University of the Free State Chapter! This chapter’s dedication and commitment to community engagement has had a major impact on the surrounding communities in the Free State area. The chapter received an award of US$1000 to assist them in continuing with their initiatives. Well done and keep up the good work!

2009 Sasol Golden Key Excellence Award Winners

Congratulations to this year’s Sasol Golden Key Excellence Award winners! Each of these winners each receives R10 000 that will contribute to their post-graduate studies in 2010. The judging panel faced a challenging task as there were outstanding candidates. They are well-deserving winners and each one has excellent academic records, remarkable leadership skills and shown thorough community engagement.

The winners per category:

Humanities	Engineering	Business Management	Information Tech

Nicole Wilson	Gillis du Toit	Ashleigh Harisson	Daniel de Wet

Law	Education	Health Sciences	Natural & Applied Sciences

Jeanette Weideman	Candice Harding	David Mordechai Favara	Tessa Stewart

Visual and Performing Arts International Scholarship Winner 2009

Congratulations to Fabian Saptouw South African Golden Key who was names the Winner for Mixed Media category under the Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship & Award. He is a member since 2005 at the University of Cape Town and we are proud to have such talent within our borders! Fabian comments, "I am very honored to have been chosen as a recipient of a Golden Key - Visual and Performing Arts – Mixed Media Award for 2009. The knowledge that my application was selected from a group of highly qualified applicants inspires me to stay committed to my field of study. I greatly appreciate the funding provided by Golden Key, which I will use to finance the remainder of my Master of Fine Art Degree. I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Golden Key and the selection panel for considering me worthy of this prestigious award."

Fulbright Scholarship Winner:

Janeke Thumbran

We want to congratulate Ms Janeke Thumbran on winning a Fulbright Scholarship where she will be working towards a PhD in Sociology, with a major in race and ethnicity studies at a university in the United States of America in the near future. In the meantime she has won another scholarship to do a Masters degree in Communication at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands as well.

3 in a Row – CitizenSHIP Showcase Winners

South African Chapters were named the winners of the CitizenSHIP Showcase contest at the International Golden Key Conference 2009.

1st place    North-West University with Community Service and Membership Drive
2nd place   University of Cape Town with Golden Key University of Cape Town 2009 Projects
3rd place    University of Pretoria with Pretoria Service Projects 2009

Thank you to these chapters as well as other chapters who also participated and represented their universities at this international event: University of the Western Cape, University of Johannesburg, the University of Stellenbosch and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

CONGRATULATIONS: Dr Derek Swemmer!!

The ILC President's Award is Golden Key’s highest individual honor -- presented to a person who embodies the mission and values of the Society, and who has significantly advanced the Society’s mission at an international level. The award presented on the Gala evening at the International Conference, Orlando, Florida recognized someone whose hard work and talent have far exceeded expectations. The recipient of the International Leadership Council President's Award is a remarkable, talented, and compassionate individual who has made the most lasting impact on the Society as a whole through extraordinary example, vision, leadership, and dedication.
We want to congratulate Dr Swemmer (BA Hons, MA, D Litt et Phil, TTHD), the Registrar at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits), Chapter Advisor of the Wits Golden Key Chapter since 2001, South African Advisor of the year in 2006 and appointed to the Golden Key Board of Directors in 2006.

2008 Chapter Service Award Winners: University of Pretoria

It is with great pleasure for Golden Key to congratulate the University of Pretoria Golden Key Chapter for excellent community service initiatives and efforts to uplift the young generation of our country. You all make us proud. The chapter will receive US$1000 to assist them to continue with their community projects.

Volunteer Leadership Positions 2008/2009

The voting session’s election results were as follows:

CoA – Robert Kotze CoSM – Reshen Naidoo

University of Stellenbosch University of Cape Town

Special achievement chapter awards

University of the Free State - COMMUNITY OUTREACH AWARD

(Under the leadership of outgoing chapter president, Pietro Pretorius).

University of Stellenbosch - LITERACY AWARD

(Under the leadership of outgoing chapter president, Liebe Kouta).

University of Pretoria – BEST MEMBERSHIP DRIVE AWARD

(Under the leadership of outgoing chapter president, Ansa Brink).

University of Cape Town – BEST COMMUNICATION AWARD

(Under the leadership of outgoing chapter president, Reshen Naidoo).

2008 Sasol Golden Key Excellence Award Winners

The winners of the Sasol Golden Key Excellence Awards were announced during the South African Conference 2008 hosted by the North-West University, 17 September 2008.
This new Awards Programme was initiated by Sasol and Golden Key to recognise and celebrate the exceptional achievements of Golden Key members in South Africa.

The applications were judged by a panel and the following criteria were applied:
•   25% - Leadership Excellence: Demonstrated leadership on        and/or off campus
•   25% - Service Excellence: Involvement in community service        initiatives
•   50% - Academic Excellence: Sustained academic achievement

Congratulations to our winners:
Humanities – Liska du Preez, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Education - Michael Brien White, University of Pretoria
Law – Ryan Meintjes, North-West University
Natural & Applied Sciences - Megan Beckett, University of Cape Town
Engineering & the Built Environment - Lionel Prinsloo, University of Pretoria
Information Technology - Rouan Wilsenach, Rhodes University
Business & Management Sciences - Manuel Rodrigues, University of Johannesburg
Health Sciences – Basil May, University of the Western Cape

2008 International Scholarships & Awards

4 South Africans received International Scholarships and Awards and we want to congratulate the following Golden Key members:

Liz Marie Basson, Community Service Award valued at $500 donated ($250 to Danville Rooms), University of Pretoria.

Shital Assivankumar, GEICO Life Scholarship valued at $1000, University of Pretoria.

Clement Papy Nkubizi, GEICO Life Scholarship valued at $1000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Klara-Marie den Heijer, Visual and Performing Arts valued at $500, University of Stellenbosch.

This shows that we in SA do have the talent to bring these awards home and we encourage you not to stand back, but actually apply.

South African Student Leader of the Year Award 2008

Liebe Kouta Ansa Brink
University of Stellenbosch University of Pretoria

South African Advisor of the Year Award

Prof Charl Cilliers Dr Derek Swemmer
University of Stellenbosch University of theWitwatersrand

2007 Sasol Golden Key Excellence Awards: Winners Announced!

The winners of the Sasol Golden Key Excellence Awards were announced during a Breakfast at The Innovation Hub in Pretoria on Saturday, 17 November 2007.

This new Awards Programme was initiated by Sasol and Golden Key to recognise and celebrate the exceptional achievements of Golden Key members in South Africa.

One winner in each of the eight categories received R10 000 in cash to support their post-graduate studies in 2008.

HUMANITIES
Jessica Merry Brett Auerbach (University of Cape Town)

EDUCATION
Janeke Deodata Thumbran (University of Pretoria)

LAW
Sarah Jean Swart (University of KwaZulu-Natal)
NATURAL & APPLIED SCIENCES
Wendy Louise Williams (University of Cape Town)

ENGINEERING & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Ridhwaan Suliman (University of Pretoria)

INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY
Matthew David Dekenah (University of Stellenbosch)

BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
Zafeer Nagdee (University of Johannesburg)

HEALTH SCIENCES
Anri Theron (North-West University)

Congratulations to all our winners!

SA Student wins International Award in Education

Congratulations to Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University student Melissa May, who has recently been awarded the Golden Key Education Achievement Award.

The Education Achievement Award recognises three Golden Key members who excel in the study of education. Golden Key awards $400,000 USD in scholarships and grants annually to qualifying members.

Active Golden Key members from any of the Society’s chapters may apply for this award, but only three outstanding members are selected to receive this honour. May was selected from a pool of eligible candidates to receive a $1,000 USD award from the Society. She submitted an essay entitled “Challenges facing schools in a South African context with reference to HIV/AIDS and language policy”.

May plans to continue her studies by enrolling for an Honours degree next year: “It is a great thing when achievement in a field so often unrecognised and unappreciated, is indeed noted and rewarded! I am grateful to Golden Key for helping me truly realise my full potential and for supporting growth in my studies”.

Leadership awards 2006

Student Leader of the Year Award: R5 000

Congratulations to Laura Maureen Pereira of the University of the Witwatersrand! Laura joined Golden Key in 2004 and has been actively involved ever since. She holds a BSc degree in Zoology and Biology (Cum Laude) and is currently completing her BSc Honours degree. Laura is a master in the art of multi-tasking and managed to maintain her excellent academic results while serving on the Wits SRC, Golden Key Executive Committee and many other facets of student life.

Advisor of the Year Award: R5 000

Congratulations to Dr Derek Swemmer of the University of the Witwatersrand! Dr Swemmer, the Registrar of Wits, has been a Golden Key Advisor since 2002. Over the past couple of years, he has made significant contributions to furthering Golden Key’s mission at his university, in South Africa and internationally. His approach to “Advising” is to lay a good foundation and then to give students the creative freedom to implement, while maintaining an open-door policy. He has also recently been elected to serve on the Golden Key International Board of Directors.

Outstanding Golden Key members in SA

Some say youth is wasted on the young. Thando Pato begs to differ. She spoke to committed campus leaders blessed with the vision, verve and vitality to make a real difference in others' lives. This is the face of South Africa's future.

Catherine Johnston, South African Student Leader 2004

At the third annual Golden Key regional conference held in Port Elizabeth in September 2004, Catherine Johnston, the then president of the Rand Afrikaans University chapter of Golden Key was awarded the prestigious South African Student Leader Award for 2004 in recognition of her outstanding leadership qualities and dedication not only to Golden Key, but to the spirit of leadership in all of its forms.In this article, Catherine reflects on what it has meant to her to be a leader in Golden Key...

Frankly, I don't think that there is any significant factor that makes me an outstanding candidate for this award. My involvement with Golden Key has been characterised by a sense of "so much need and so little time...", coaxing and following up on reluctant committee members, balancing busy schedules, working through bureaucracy, frustration when good ideas are not implemented, academic deadlines, late nights, receiving numerous telephone calls and emails, crisis-management when people let one down at the last minute, my disappointment in myself for not achieving all of the goals I wanted to... and all of this juxtaposed next to a hugely needy society where there is much poverty and tremendous gaps in education.

"I attended a Golden Key Function at Tukkies last year. It was truly inspirational to see the students (and their parents) express huge pride in being selected to be members of Golden Key. It is a wonderful prize for a combination of hard work and talent.”