Sacramento, CA – In the Capitol, Assemblymember Chris Holden (AD - 41) honored Maricela Guzman, a Navy veteran who served overseas from 1998 to 2002, as the 2016 41st Assembly District’s “Veteran of the Year.”
“I am pleased to be able to call Maricela Guzman the 41st Assembly District’s Veteran of the Year,” said Assemblymember Holden. “Not only has her service to our country been exemplary, but her work today continues to improve the quality of life for our military.”
Guzman served in Diego Garcia and Italy before being honorably discharged at the rank of Petty Officer Second Class. In the course of her service she was awarded three Navy and Marine Achievement Awards, and was honored as Junior Sailor of the Quarter in 2000 and Junior Sailor of the Year in 2001.
Following her time in the Navy, Guzman went on to California State University, Los Angeles, where she earned a B.S. in Rehabilitation Services and an M.S. in Counseling. While she no longer serves in the military, Guzman continues to make a positive impact for her country in new ways. She is a cofounder of the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), a member-driven community network advocating for the individual and collective needs of service women past, present and future. The Network focuses on ending discrimination, harassment and assault within the military, in addition to achieving quality health care and benefits for women veterans and their families.
Maricela Guzman now works for the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Program Analyst.