Submitted by David Klenk Graduate Assistant to Communications and PR

In this part 1 of 2 episode of Saints Spotlight, we speak with Leo Calderon ’80. Leo discusses his time as a student at Thomas More and his impact on the Hispanic community in the region.

(Written interview compiled from in person and Q&A responses)

David Klenk: Thank you for joining us for another edition of Saints Spotlight. Today we are joined by Leo Calderon from the Thomas More class of 1980. It was recently announced at the Northern Kentucky Chamber that Mr. Calderon is the recipient of the 2022 Horizon Award as a result of his dedication, integrity, and honorable service in the Northern Kentucky region through his extraordinary community leadership. Thank you very much for joining us today.

Leo Calderon: Thank you, David, for the invitation.  

DK: Starting off, could you tell us a short history behind your career path and any of your important turning points?

LC:  Well, thank you for the question. I guess my career began with me attending Thomas More College. Back then it was Thomas More College in 1976. It was Thomas More who really gave me an opportunity to get a higher education degree and once I graduated, like you mentioned, in 1980 my undergraduate degree was in criminal justice, so I became a police officer across the river. Later on, I began to work at Northern Kentucky University, and began working on my master’s in public administration. Dr. Leon Boothe, who was the president of Northern Kentucky University at that time, gave me the opportunity to work in his office as his executive assistant and it was then that really things changed for me quite a bit.

DK (1:36): You retired from NKU in December of 2021, after 36 years of service, and for the last 20 years of your career, you served as director of Latino Services Initiatives. Can you tell us what accomplishments you are most proud of during your time in that position?

LC: Certainly. Twenty years ago, in the spring of 2001, a colleague of mine decided to establish an office to cater to and provide services to the growing Latino community. We were one of a kind in the region, as a matter of fact, to provide bilingual services to the growing community. Back then we only had 57 self-reporting Latino students. When I talk about self-reported Latino students, I’m talking about undocumented students, permanent residents, or U.S. born. So, again, we provide bilingual services and I was getting phone calls all the way from Tennessee and basically, what people were asking, is what is the admission process – just general information. Since then we have had, in 20 years, an over 1,000% increase of Latino students at Northern Kentucky University. I could go on and on in terms of the programs that we provide, the scholarships that we established to recruit and retain graduating students, but what I’m most proud of is the ability to help students achieve their dream, and that is to get an education and seeing them succeed. Some of our students currently are attorneys, they are educators, they’re social workers, they’re Ph.D., diplomats, and so forth.

DK (3:28): You helped found Esperanza Latino Center with NKU Professor Irene Encarnación. Tell us about that experience in the work that is done at the center.

LC: First of all, Professor Encarnacion, has been a colleague of mine for many, many years. I guess we worked together for 30 years at Northern Kentucky University, and she was also part of the reason that our students were able to come to NKU. You only need a couple of collaborators like her and you get things done. In this case, the Latino community is drastically increasing in the region. There was a need to provide such service in the community and for a long time, I’d always wanted to go into something like this and it just presented the opportunity to do it.

Back in 2018, I was part of this Peace and Justice Community Committee of Northern Kentucky, and we were basically an adhoc committee to look at the possibility of establishing a Latino Center and the answer was “yes, let’s move forward.” Professor Encarnacion was part of that, she was one of the founding members. So basically, there were four of us who put our energy together, our finances together, and we opened the doors in January of 2019. It’s been a wonderful experience. That was the reason we started was to try to meet the needs of the growing Latino community in the Northern Kentucky community. I approached the mayor of Covington, Joe Meyer, whom I’ve known for years and asked him if there was opportunity to do that in Covington in this case. He was very receptive to that idea and exactly what is it that we do in Esperanza? We provide English classes, Spanish classes, we provide GED classes. We were opened during the COVID period, provided assistance – financial assistance, to those individuals who cannot afford to pay their bills in this case. So we were very instrumental in doing that.

DK: As a student, how was your experience at Thomas More?

LC: Oh, I have some very fond memories of Thomas More College, back then, University now.

One of the things that I found so appealing, was the genuine hospitality from the faculty and the staff. I happen to live in the dorms the first year, and I still remember the lady who ran the dorms, Ms. McClure. She was like the grandma to all of us, just very kind and it was back then that I also met my wife Kathy. She happened to come from Louisville and so we got married as a matter of fact in our second year, and had a baby, Sara. We stayed on course to graduate in four years. We were on food stamps back then, thanks to the Clinton administration back then, that allows people like me to receive, for us, to receive food stamps. Thanks to that support, they were able to continue our education and provide food for our daughter, but also to Thomas More play a critical role in giving me, for instance, the opportunity to work. Particularly during the winter when we were off, I even helped paint the dorms – that’s how I was able to receive a bit of money to continue our education. But again, the diversity of the students: we had some international students, just a variety of students. Back then, I believe there were 400 students living the dorms and the total enrollment population, I would imagine, was about 1,200. So that’s a significant number of students living in the dorms, and it was just great, great moments in my life.

DK: You have any advice for any current students?

LC: I do, enjoy your time at the University. Maximize those opportunities. Travel abroad. Follow your dreams, follow your passions, and if possible, share those wonderful talents that you have by helping other organizations and, if not, create your own organization. Have an impact. Get outside your comfort zone. Because many of us, are you know, we like to stay within our comfort zone. Get outside your comfort zone, I think more than ever and just enjoy yourself. Life’s too short.

Leo Calderon: Thank you, David, for the invitation.  

DK: Starting off, could you tell us a short history behind your career path and any of your important turning points?

LC:  Well, thank you for the question. You know, I guess my career began with me attending Thomas More College. Back then it was Thomas More colleges in 1976. It was Thomas More who really gave me an opportunity to get into higher education degree. And after that, once I graduate, like you mentioned 1980. My undergraduate degree was in criminal justice so I became a police officer across the river. Later on, I began to work at Northern Kentucky University, and began working on my Master’s in Public Administration after that. Dr. Leon booth, who was the president of Northern Kentucky University at that time, gave me the opportunity to work in his office as his executive assistant and it was it was, it was then that really, things changed for me quite a bit.

DK: You retired from NKU in December of 2021, after 36 years of service, and for the last 20 years of your career, you served as director of Latino service initiatives. Can you tell us what accomplishments you are most proud of during your time in that position?

LC: Certainly 20 years ago, in the spring of 2001, a colleague of mine decided to establish an office to cater to provide services to the growing Latino community back then. And we were one of a kind in which in the region’s is a matter of fact, to provide bilingual services to the growing community. Back then we only had 57 self reporting Latino students. When I talk about self reported Latino students, David, I’m talking about undocumented students, permanent residents in US born. So again, we provide bilingual services. And I was getting phone calls all the way from Tennessee and basically what people were asking is what is the admission process. Just general information. And since then, we have had in 20 years, we had had over 1,000% increase of Latino students and Northern Kentucky University. I could go on and on in terms of the programs that we provide the scholarships that we established to recruit retaining graduating students. But what I’m most proud of is the ability to help students achieve their dream, and that is to get an education and being able for, and seeing them succeed. Some of our students currently are attorneys. They are educators, their social workers, their PhD, diplomats, and so forth.

DK: You helped found Esperanza Latinos center with NKU Professor, Irene Encarnacion. Tell us about that experience in the work that is done at the center.

LC: First of all, professor Encarnacion, has been a colleague of mine for many, many years, I guess we have worked together for 30 years at Northern Kentucky University, and she was also part of the reason that our students were able to come to NKU you only need a couple of collaborators like her and you get things done. In this case. The Latino community is drastically increasing in the in the region. There was a need to provide such services in the community. And for a long time, I’ve always wanted to go into something like this and, and, and it just present the opportunity to do it.

Back in 2018, I was part of this piece of justice community committee of Northern Kentucky, and we’ve put basically had a committee to look at the possibility of establishing a Latino Center. And the answer was yes, let’s move forward. And Professor Encarnacion was part of that she was one of the founding members. So basically, there were four of us who put our energy together, our finances together, and we opened the doors in in January of 2019. And it’s been a wonderful experience. So I guess that was the that was the reason that we started is to try to meet the needs of the growing Latino community in the Northern Kentucky Community. And I approached the mayor of Covington and Joe Meyer, who I’ve known for years and ask him, if there was opportunity to do that in Covington. In this case, he was very receptive to that idea. And exactly what is it that we do in Esperanza? We provide English classes, Spanish classes, we provide GED classes. We were opened during the COVID period provided assistance financial assistance to those individuals who cannot afford to pay their bills in this case. So we were very instrumental in doing that.

DK: As a student, how was your experience at Thomas More?

LC: Oh, I have some very fond memories of Thomas More college back in the university. Now. One of the things that I found is so, so appealing, was the Genuine Hospitality from the faculty and the staff.

I happen to live in the dorms the first year, and I still remember the lady who ran the dorms, Miss McClure. She was like the grandma to all of us, just very kind. And it was back then that I also met my wife Kathy, she happened to come from Louisville. And so we got married as matter of fact, in our second year and had a baby and Sarah, and however, we stayed, you know on course to graduate within four years, we’ve been working on food stamps, thanks to the I think it was the Clinton administration back then. That allows people like me to receive for us to receive food stamps. And thanks to that support, they were able to continue our education and provide food for our daughter, but also to Thomas More play a critical role. And given me for instance, the opportunity to work particularly during the winter, when we were off. I even help paint the dorms, you know, and that’s how I was able to go and receive a little bit of money to continue our education. But again, I you know, the diversity of the students, me, we had some international students, just a variety of students.

But back then, you know, I believe there were 400 students living the dorms. And the total enrollment population I would imagine, back then was about 1200. So that’s a significant number of students living in the dorms, and it was just great, great moments. And in my life.

DK: You have any advice for any current students?

LC: I do. Enjoy your time at the University. Maximize those opportunities. Travel more. Follow your dreams. Follow your passion and if possible, share those wonderful talents that you have by helping other organizations and if not create your organization. Have an impact. Get outside your comfort zone. Because as many of us are you know, we like to go to stay within our comfort zone. Get outside your comfort zone. I think more than ever and just enjoy yourself, you know, life’s too short