An international honors society chapter at ASU inducted its 2 millionth member Sunday at a new member recognition event on the Tempe campus.
Golden Key International Honour Society is an invitation-only organization for students in the top 15 percent of their class. The group promotes academic leadership and community service, said ASU chapter president Tabitha Sarabo, an African and African American studies and political science senior.
Joseph Philippe Villafuerte, an associate director from Golden Key headquarters, said the milestone showed how far the club has spread.
“I don’t think any chapter deserves [the honor] more than ASU,” Villafuerte said.
The chapter has logged 1,800 community service hours this year and is classified as a gold chapter for holding to the highest club standards of achievement, Villafuerte said.
There are four club classifications: good standing, bronze, silver and gold.
The society, which was founded 34 years ago in Atlanta, has been steadily growing despite the recession, said John Mitchell, the CEO of the society.
Mitchell said the organization gives away $600,000 in scholarship money, but he hopes to increase that number to $1 million next year.
By Haley Buntrock
The organization adds about five to 20 universities each year, he said.
“Universities from all over the world come to us,” Mitchell said.
Golden Key has members in 190 countries, including India, Australia and South Africa.
Mitchell said out of all the countries, South African chapters have reported the greatest number of community service hours. This year the South African chapters have reported more than 100,000 hours.
The organization invites new members through both e-mail and letters.
But Mitchell said it is common for people to respond to their survey after they declined to join and report they believe the organization to be a scam.
“That’s the perception we are trying to overcome,” Mitchell said.
This perception comes from the organization offering so many benefits for a one-time fee, he said.
Sarabo said students pay a one-time fee of $80 to join the organization for life.
“It doesn’t matter what happens to your GPA,” Sarabo said.
She also said most club funding comes from these new member fees, so recruiting new members is key for the club.
After students join the organization they receive discounts on Graduate Record Examination preparation courses through the Princeton Review, said Kevin Brown, a representative for the Princeton Review.
Brown, who was tabling outside the Memorial Union on Friday for the organization, said students stopped by the table because of the number of e-mails the group sends out and the content of those e-mails.
“It sounds too good to be true,” Brown said.
But he said the Princeton Review choose to work with Golden Key because they are a “premier academic organization.”
Pete Pearson, a history and film and media studies senior, said the club participates in community service projects to help revitalize downtown Phoenix.
Club members from ASU are also tutors for AVID or Advancement Via Individual Determination at South Mountain High School. AVID prepares students from fourth grade to high school for college through college preparation classes and tutorial sessions.
Pearson said he often helps organize events behind the scenes because he wants to share those privileges he has been blessed with.
“It’s the one component I have seen at ASU that allows me to give back,” Pearson said.
Reach the reporter at mary.shinn@asu.edu
