The Campuswide Honors Program (CHP) welcomed councilwoman and former mayor of Newport Beach, Diane Dixon to share her personal story and professional trajectory with honors students during this month’s Lunch with Leadership event.  The quarterly series provides CHP students the opportunity to enjoy an intimate hosted lunch and engage in discussion with an established leader in the community.

Ms. Dixon’s passion for politics and public service started with her interest in the 1960 presidential election.  As a political science major at the University of Southern California, Ms. Dixon recognized the need to gain real world experiences and develop job-related skills leading her to take the initiative to find an internship in Washington D.C.  Her initial ambition for success later drove her to a 30-year career as a senior executive at Avery Dennison, a Fortune 500 public company; before transitioning to local government.

As a council member, Ms. Dixon is responsible for understanding the needs and best interests of the Newport Beach community.  Her breadth of experience and passion for empowering others make her story especially compelling.  During the luncheon, Ms. Dixon shared with CHP students about the guiding life principles that have grounded her professional and personal pursuits.  She emphasized the importance of advocating for oneself, listening to the perspective of others, and to be unafraid to ask the question “why?”

“Councilwoman Dixon really illuminated the importance of taking initiative and charting your own path,” said Christina Treble, honors advisor for the CHP.  “This is a valuable sentiment for our students who have such varied interests and are looking for ways to leverage their liberal arts education.”

The CHP is excited to provide honors students the opportunity to connect and network with a variety community leaders such as Diane Dixon.  The CHP looks forward to organizing Lunch with Leadership for the 2017-2018 academic year.

About the Campuswide Honors Program: Founded in 1988, the CHP is an academic program dedicated to promoting high standards of scholastic excellence and personal growth by combining the qualities of a liberal arts college with the unique opportunities offered by a major research university.  For more on the CHP, visit http://honors.uci.edu/.