Issue link: http://ihouse.uberflip.com/i/1180330
10 International House Times A t International House's 31st Annual Celebration and Awards Gala on May 9th, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ and Executive Director Hans Giesecke honored Baroness Oona King by presenting her with the 2019 Alumna of the Year Award for her 30 years of public service. It was an epic night under the dome. e evening began with a festive red-carpet welcome by our resident hosts (pic- tured below), followed by a reception and an elegant three-course meal prepared by I-House Executive Chef Todd Koenigsberg. e highlight of the evening was the Honoree Q and A moderated by Chief of Strategy and Director of the Robertson Center for Intercultural Leadership (CIL), Jason Patent. Baroness King shared many incredible insights and some practical advice on how to become a successful leader today. Here are a few wise and inspirational thoughts that she shared: "Turning people's insecurity into a positive attribute is a gift. This mind-set allowed me to believe that I could be whatever I wanted to be growing up." "Highlight discomfort in your life, as it is a critical threshold, and without discomfort, you cannot achieve much that is meaningful." "You do not need a title to be a leader. Identify your sphere of influence and make yourself useful—you are going to do a lot better in the long run." " " "If you're going to be successful, you need to turn that traumatic event from a catastrophe or failure in your life into something that has a silver lining. Make it into an opportunity that's better than what you had or equal to it—that's the key for me." Save the Date! The 32nd Annual Celebration and Awards Gala will be on April 30, 2020.