Before Christine Baleto ’91 left her native Guam for college, her dad sat her down for a conversation she’ll never forget. He told her many people leave the island to pursue higher education, but too few return to use what they’ve learned to give back to the community.
“If our own people don’t come back to help improve our island and create opportunities, who will?” Baleto recalls her father asking her all those years ago. “He urged me to get my education, but more importantly, to come home and use it to serve our people and our island.
“That conversation left a lasting imprint on me. I left Guam with a clear purpose: to return.”
And that’s exactly what she did.
Today, Baleto is president and CEO of telecommunications firm Docomo Pacific, the largest provider of mobile, internet, television and phone services in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Despite her high-stress day job, Baleto still makes time to serve on nonprofit boards, volunteer her time to civic organizations and serve as a mentor to young people.
That focus on giving to others is something Baleto says was ingrained in her throughout her childhood, and a value she was able to foster during her time at Chaminade.
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While a student, she served as president of the National Honor Society and volunteered for a long list of clubs. “That commitment to service shaped how I lead today,” she said.
Baleto came to Chaminade as a transfer student.
After graduating from high school, she headed to Eastern Oregon State College on a full scholarship. While she says she enjoyed the opportunity, Baleto struggled with the climate and the distance from her island home, so she made the decision to transfer to Hawaiʻi.
“I wanted connection and community,” Baleto said.
She found it at Chaminade.
“The intimate campus environment was exactly what I was looking for. I didn’t want to be just another face in a large lecture hall; I wanted a place where professors knew my name and where mentorship and one-on-one engagement were part of the learning experience.”
Baleto says she thrived in Chaminade’s tight-knit community and enjoyed the University’s values-based education. Chaminade’s mission of service, in particular, resonated with her.
“From a young age, I felt a strong calling to serve,” she said. “My earliest passions were rooted in social service, and even as my career evolved, that sense of purpose never faded.”
It’s why today, Baleto sees her role as a leader as an opportunity to make a broader positive impact. “Returning to Guam and contributing to our community wasn’t just a personal goal. It was a responsibility I embraced, and one that continues to guide my path today,” she said.
Her message to tomorrow’s leaders at Chaminade is twofold.
First, she says, there is no substitute for hard work.
And secondly: “True leadership is rooted in humility, kindness, and a continuous willingness to learn from others,” Baleto said. “If you aspire to be a leader or a changemaker, remember you cannot do it alone. Real, lasting change happens when you empower those around you.”
Baleto said her Chaminade years were formative, including in helping her develop her community-focused leadership style. And this spring, Baleto had something of a full circle moment when she got the opportunity to visit campus for the first time since she’d graduated.
“Stepping onto campus 30 years later brought back so many wonderful memories— of the professors who knew me by name, the close-knit community, and all the ways I was active as a student,” she said. “I was especially proud to see how much the University has grown.”
Baleto added she’s grateful to be part of Chaminade’s past, present and future. “Chaminade is not merely a place to earn a degree,” she said. “It is a community that fosters one’s values, stimulates intellectual growth, and equips individuals with the skills necessary for purposeful leadership.”