New Members Reception 2017 - Perspective of a New Member

Written by Karuna Santosa - Swinburne University of Technology Research Assistant, Pro-Vice Chancellor’s Office of Student Engagement

When I received a letter in the mail informing me I was invited to join the Golden Keys International Honour Society, I was quite surprised.  I had heard of the society before but I was not aware of what it did or what it stood for as a society.  The letter provided me information about a new members’ event which I was invited to attend.  I was not sure why I was receiving an invite at this stage of my studies, my marks had always been strong and my average score was steady.  So I decided to ask staff at Swinburne whether they thought it was worth paying $100 to join the society.  Interestingly enough, everyone I spoke too encouraged me to join because they believed it was a great networking opportunity.  I decided to find out more about the society before committing myself to the new members’ event.  I did this by attending the free information session provided by the Golden Key Swinburne Chapter Committee where I learnt about the many great opportunities I could access through the society.  Most importantly, I was informed that the $100 membership fee was used to financially assist students and graduates on their journey to reach their full potential rather than pocketed by a mysterious board.  At this stage I decided to attend the new members’ event.  

It was during the new members’ event that it became clear that a diverse range of students from many marginalised backgrounds were a part of the Swinburne Chapter of the Golden Keys International Honour Society. I began to recognise how this society could be utilised as a means to counteract pretension driven by privilege which at its’ fundamental core minimises equal opportunity and human rights.  The event demonstrated it was possible for the society to help students to acknowledge the existence of privilege.  It was evident that the society was able to encourage students to use their academic networks to give back to those who face barriers in the community due to privilege.  During the event there were heart felt speeches provided by Professor Duncan Bentley, Professor Glen Bates, as well as an introduction to the fabulous work and community contributions made by the new honorary member Dr. Ann Mitsis.  I began to feel proud to be a part of the new members’ event and the society; knowing that I could potentially assist students to counteract privilege, as well as further develop my own understanding of the connection between privilege and the three pillars of the Golden Key Honour Society: academia, leadership and community service.  For such an opportunity I would like to thank the previous Swinburne Golden Keys Committee for holding the event and the warm welcome they provided which enabled me to become their new Alumni Officer.