Congratulations to Citrus College alumna Lahaina Guale, who will soon begin her new job as an embedded preventative behavioral health capability specialist, or EPBHCS, with the U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa, Japan.

Lahaina enrolled at Citrus College 16 years ago. While she originally thought of the campus as a great place to transition into higher education, she quickly began to view it as a lifeline. "I was kicked out of my home and had to take care of my younger brother," she remembers. "I can't tell you how many times my Citrus family pulled me through when I thought I couldn't make it. I had a support system that cared about my academic and professional success."

With this support and a lot of hard work, Lahaina graduated from Citrus College in 2009. She then earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Azusa Pacific University, as well as a master's degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Bellevue University. She is currently pursuing her second master's degree in clinical mental health counseling and was recently accepted into a doctoral program for industrial organizational psychology.

Lahaina has made it her mission to become a subject matter expert in child and domestic abuse. Her career includes extensive work with at-risk youth and families. Most recently, she worked as an education and outreach specialist for the Children's Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas, Inc..

In her new role as an EPBHCS, Lahaina will work closely with military commanders to systemically determine need, identify trends and develop action regarding behavioral health and wellness. "My job is to ensure the safety and security of members of the military and their families by watching out for domestic violence, child abuse, suicidal ideation and more," she says.

Lahaina says that she learned many of the skills she brings to this new job at Citrus College. "'Thank you' is not a strong enough sentiment to express how grateful I am to everyone at Citrus who helped me through all of my tough times," she said. "My continued success is because you allowed me to see strength in myself, and now I help others see the power in themselves."