Simone Samuels, founding president of the York chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society, has been named the recipient of the society's 2010 Regional Student Leader of the Year Award and the 2010 Canadian Undergraduate Award. Each award is valued at $1,000.
Samuels, who graduated this year from Glendon with an honours double major in philosophy and political science, is headed to McGill University this fall to pursue her law degree.
"The awards will be immensely helpful as I will be commencing my law LLB/BCL degrees at the Faculty of Law at McGill University in September 2010," says Samuels. "The awards serve as acknowledgement that hard work and perseverance pay off and that one person can indeed make a 
difference."
Right: Simone Samuels
More than 900 York students were inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society’s York University Chapter at its inaugural New Member Recognition Ceremony on Friday, March 26, (see YFile, March 25).
Samuels, who won a 2006 Harry Jerome Award for leadership from the Black Business & Professional Association, heard about the Golden Key society from a fellow Harry Jerome Award winner and was inspired to start a chapter at York. That was over two years ago. “I wanted it to be a pan-University organization that would bridge the gap between diversity, language, culture and campuses,” says Samuels.
Golden Key recognizes and encourages scholastic achievement and excellence among college and university students from all academic disciplines. Committed to an ethos of recognizing academic achievement and encouraging altruistic service, the Golden Key International Honour Society’s on-campus presence has reached over 375 chapters at colleges and universities in eight countries: Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Bahamas and the United States.
The society offers members opportunities for individual growth through leadership, career development, networking and community service opportunities, as well as more than US$600,000 annually through scholarship and award programs. Members are connected to career opportunities and assistance through Golden Key's corporate partnerships and graduate programs. The society also provides campus and community service opportunities for personal growth and leadership development.
The Golden Key Honour Society was founded by a group of undergraduate students and faculty members at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, on Nov. 29, 1977. In 2001, the society modified its name to Golden Key International Honour Society to reflect its diversity and global presence.
For more information, contact Marty Williams, chapter adviser and senior policy analyst, Office of the Vice-President Students, at martyw@yorku.ca, or visit the Golden Key International Honour Society at York University and Golden Key International Honour Society Web sites.