Sydney University graduate Sara Proebsting received the 2007 award of $1,000 for dedication to her studies.

The Accenture Australia Achievement Award was created in 2007 by Accenture and the Golden Key International Honour Society, a society which recognizes and encourages scholastic achievement and excellence among university students, to support and inspire high performers at Australian institutions.

Sara grew up in the small rural town of Swan Hill, Victoria, moving to Sydney in 2004 to study at the University of Sydney. While completing her degree, she found herself most drawn to her studies in Government and International Relations and has decided to pursue related work with a non-government organisation in areas such as developmental disparities and environmental degradation. Towards this aim, she will be travelling to Kenya in July to volunteer on a conservation and community development project.

What did you study at university?
Bachelor of commerce (liberal studies), with a triple major in Government and International Relations, Management, and Psychology.

What did you enjoy about academic life and the academic lifestyle?
My favourite aspect of academic life was the chance I was given to constantly expand my knowledge base. More specifically, I found that being surrounded by staff and students, who were genuinely interested in learning, and sharing their knowledge, facilitated the development of my desire to independently extend my understanding of the concepts introduced to me at university.

How do you share your learnings with others?
Tutorial sessions at the University of Sydney provided me with an excellent opportunity to share my knowledge with other students, whilst simultaneously gaining knowledge from them. I also gained a great deal of information from my friends at university and we always endeavoured to share our knowledge with one another.

What volunteer/extracurricular activities were you involved in and what plans do you have now?
Throughout my time at the University of Sydney I was involved in a variety of volunteer based community events. In particular, I raised funds for a number of charities by participating in various fun runs including, the Sun-Herald City-to-Surf and the Blackmores Running Festival. More recently, I also coordinated a fundraising party for Global Vision International (a United Kingdom-based not for profit organization) and raised in excess of $1,500 which will be contributed directly to a conservation and community development project in Kenya. In fact, in July of this year I will be travelling to Kenya to undertake a volunteer placement on that very project. As one of my ultimate objectives is to make a contribution to the resolution of transnational issues pertaining to developmental disparities and environmental degradation; subsequent to volunteering on this project, I will endeavour to gain a more permanent employment position at one of Global Vision International’s projects in the developing world.

What advice would you give to upcoming undergraduates looking to achieve academic success will maintaining a healthy balance with their extracurricular activities?
Firstly, I would suggest that you endeavour to manage your time as effectively as possible through the use of aids such as a diary or wall planner. This will facilitate the achievement of superior academic results as you will have more time to undertake the tasks required of you, and it is also likely to reduce you stress levels by disaggregating your schedule into workable units.
Secondly, although it is difficult, try to focus on the bigger picture when things do not work out quite as you planned. This is an effective strategy for moving on from disappointments and allows you to clarify your overarching objectives. Importantly, this does not imply that one should not attempt to learn from mistakes, but rather, simply suggests it is worth acknowledging that people are not perfect all the time nor should they be expected to be.
Finally, although asking for help and advice may initially seem daunting, the potential benefits to be gained from doing so far outweigh the costs of avoiding it and receiving no information or feedback. Best wishes to all the new and continuing undergraduates for 2008.

Why did you join Golden Key?
I joined Golden Key as I thought it was a great opportunity to network with a range of people and organizations that I would not otherwise be in contact with.

While membership to the Golden Key International Honour Society is by invitation only, you can find out more about Golden Key and the 2008 Accenture Australia Achievement Award by visiting www.goldenkey.org