Norwalk, California
A colleague of Diane Roberta de Julio writes: “Creativity! The word must have been invented for Diane de Julio.” Ms. de Julio’s three decades of teaching and service in the fields of art and drama exemplify creative involvement. She initiated active children’s theatre troupes, first at La Mirada High School in La Mirada, California, and later at John Glenn High School in Norwalk, California, where she served as fine arts department chair.
As a director, Ms. de Julio involved students in virtually all aspects of production. She was elected by her peers to her school’s site-based decision-making team, dedicated to restructuring education to encourage lifelong learning.
Ms. de Julio’s primary goal has been securing a place for arts education in an environment of budget freezes and cutbacks. She assisted the California state Thespian board in organizing annual events and served on an EdTA territorial board.