By Emily Setona
QWAQWA – The Golden Key organisation rewarded academic excellence when it inducted their honorary members and welcomed new members into the prestigious international organization at the University of the Free State’s Qwaqwa campus last Friday.
Golden Key is an international non-profit organisation that recognizes excellence exemplified in academic achievements, leadership skills and community involvement.
When addressing the crowd, the regional director of Golden Key South Africa, Gillian Cloete said being part of the group of top academic performers can be very hard and can place a huge responsibility to be role models.
“I encourage you to be prove your resilience during the good and the bad times. Being resilient gives you the skills to be able to adapt and bounce back when things don’t work out as planned.
“Resilient people view challenges as opportunities; they are committed to things that matter to them and exercise personal control, meaning they do not feel overwhelmed when things go wrong and they care about community development because ‘umuntu umuntu ngabantu’ (I am because we are),” Cloete said.
New student member Sithembiso Twala, who is studying Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geography, told The Guard: “I am a new member of the Golden Key International Society and I am very happy about this invitation and I look forward to the wonderful benefits that Golden Key offers. Once again I am grateful for the recognition.”
Honorary membership is extended to a few individuals who epitomise Golden Key values of integrity, collaboration, innovation, respect, diversity, engagement, and overall excellence in their field.
Thabo Mofutsanyana Department of Education’s Nkosana Kheswah was inducted into the Golden Key Society for the work that he does in education in areas of natural science and technology, coding and robotics, mathematics, and innovation.
Golden key society UFS co-vice president Mavuso Mosikili, newly inducted honorary member Nkosana Kheswa and president Mokgo Khumalo.
“I am very happy and excited to receive this prestigious award for academic excellence for the work that I do. I am grateful to the Golden Key Society for the appreciation that they showed me, and I am looking forward to exploring the scholarship rewards that come with being a member. I am very happy indeed,” Khewsah said in an interview with The Guard.
Other honorary members that were inducted were University of the Free State staff at the Qwaqwa campus’s Dulcie Malimabe who is the head of student governance and development at the student affairs department; Professor Diana Breshears who has recently been appointed as vice dean of the faculty of humanities and is the subject head of the department of communication science; as well as Dr. Mabohlokoa Khanyetsi who lectures in the African languages department.
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