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GIOVANNI CALDERON

DEFENDER’S HEART, CAPTAIN’S SPIRIT

ACCESS U Alumni Spotlight | Cal State Fullerton '24
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Giovanni Calderon’s story is one of strong cultural ties, determination, and an unwavering commitment to his dreams. Growing up in North Haven, Connecticut, Giovanni was shaped by the vibrant cultural traditions of his Colombian and Puerto Rican heritage, ingrained in him by his grandparents “Mamita” and “Papito”,  who sought a better life in the United States. From the language and music to the values of dedication and grit, these traditions became the foundation of his identity, influencing both his path as an athlete and a student.

Introduced to soccer by his father and inspired by his older brothers, Giovanni’s passion for the sport began at a young age, evolving into a journey that saw him represent the Puerto Rico National Team and earn accolades as a leader and defender at Cal State Fullerton. Giovanni’s story is also one of giving back—sharing his experiences and lessons learned through programs like ACCESS U Foundation, which helped him navigate the twists and turns of college applications and scholarship opportunities. Now, as he looks to the future with a focus on higher education and inspiring others, Giovanni embodies the spirit of service, leadership, and pride in his roots that have carried him through every challenge.

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Read full interview below.

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FAMILY, CHILDHOOD & HIGH SCHOOL

 

You were born in the U.S., but your family background is Puerto Rican and Colombian. Did your family practice any cultural traditions growing up and how did your heritage influence the athlete and student you are today?

 

My paternal grandparents - “Mamita” and “Papito” - moved from Colombia with all of their kids, including my dad, to a small Connecticut town called North Haven, which is where I grew up. Mamita was a teacher and Papito was a machinist. My mom’s parents - “Abuela” and “Abuelo” - are from Puerto Rico and moved to the States to give their daughters a better life. Abuela worked for Pratt & Whitney as an Inspector and Abuelo worked at McDonald’s and in the tobacco fields.

 

I had a very traditional upbringing always instilled with Latin Influence - our Colombian and Puerto Rican culture of language, dance, creativity, food, passion, extreme work ethic, and being extroverts. My dad is always working, never stopping. My mom also works and makes the best homemade meals (cheese and arepas with ‘choclo’ - corn- are my favorites) for the family. I have two older brothers, Neekoli and Joshua (by 5 and 6 years older, respectively). They both played college soccer and I learned from their experiences. My whole life I watched everyone in my family work hard and I developed those habits as well. My heritage influenced me to work as hard as I possibly can and never forget where my family came from.

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Support and ‘camaraderie’ among siblings—how is your relationship with your brother Joshua Calderon (pro player), and what has it been like to share the field with him on the Puerto Rico National Team?

My dad introduced me and my brothers, Joshua and Neekoli, to the game of soccer. I started playing when I was three and after watching my brothers play, I did not want to try other sports. My brothers both received college soccer scholarships and my parents and I would go to every single game to support them. They both also played for the Puerto Rico National Team. I remember going on the field with them and we would all train together. Joshua followed his dream and became a professional player, traveling from country to country (England, Colombia, New Zealand). His work ethic was unmatched and courageous.

When I made the Puerto Rico National Team and became teammates with Joshua, it was incredible. Sometimes you can take those moments for granted and think that you’ll play all your life with your brother at that level. And in one moment, you can lose it. I will never forget playing with Joshua - he was constantly teaching me, sharing advice on how to improve and helping me become a better player.

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ACCESS U & APPLYING TO COLLEGES

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In 2018, we asked Aurélien Collin (NY Red Bulls defender) to help us surprise you with a $5,000 scholarship from Allstate. What memories do you have of that day? 

Someone had called me and said “Gio, this is ACCESS U. Can you come meet us in New York?” It was a two and a half hour drive but they said it’d be worth it. When my parents and I arrived at the Allstate office, all of the blinds were closed. Everyone in the office surprised me when I walked in and they presented me with a check for $5,000. My mom started crying tears of joy. My family and I could not believe it. I was super excited to meet Aurelien Collin because we play the same position. I immediately texted everyone from ACCESS U and thanked them.

I was also gifted tickets to the NYCFC Final 8, as well as airfare and hotel to attend an Atlanta United game. I was very grateful and humbled to receive the gifts; I took my dad to the MLS Final. I remember walking into our hotel room and the view was so amazing, I immediately decided to Facetime my mom.

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How did you get involved with ACCESS U Foundation? Is there one memory or experience with ACCESS U that stands out to you? 

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I went to the NY Sueño Alianza tryout in 2017 and was selected the best player out of thousands of kids.  That won me an invitation to the National Showcase, which is where I met ACCESS U and Yours In Soccer Foundation, and was invited to play on their Surf Cup team. I felt an instant connection with the players on the field and I remember one night ACCESS U hosted a taco bar at our hotel. 

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Why is there a need for a program like ACCESS U exist?

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Oftentimes, students do not have enough money for college or come from broken households and need to escape from an unhealthy situation. ACCESS U provides this and more. I was a kid who had two older brothers and my parents worked hard for everything we had, every dollar. My parents wanted to give us a “normal” life, sometimes getting us whatever we wanted and hiding the financial struggles from me and my brothers. ACCESS U eased this stress not just for me, but my family! They helped me with academic tutoring, SAT prep classes, etc. and expected nothing in return. Co-founders Brad Rothenberg and Joaquin Escoto and the people at ACCESS U all work extremely hard to help students make their college dreams come true and earn a degree. I am about to finish my bachelor’s degree and I want to go for my doctoral degree. I have ambitions now that I would not have thought of before.

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U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY & CAL STATE FULLERTON​

 

Transitioning to a midshipman, what made you decide to apply to the U.S. Naval Academy (2021), how did you get there and how was your experience there?

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The Navy recruited me after they saw me play with Nomads SC out in California. Attending the United States Naval Academy for college was one of the best decisions I made in my life. It’s a rich institution that enhanced my leadership skills immediately. The process of getting in was extremely selective and I was elated to have earned an appointment. 

 

My experience there was absolutely wild. I woke up at 5am, slept by 11pm, had no access to electronics and could only communicate through letters to loved ones. It was a blessing through the chaos as I learned what true leadership was, what it means to be a teammate or a coworker. It was an experience like no other that changed me for the better. 

 

As time went on, I began to realize that neither academics nor soccer was the priority there. And I learned quickly how short life is - our time on earth can be cut short when we least expect it. So I decided to take all that I had learned while at Navy, including the discipline and character to train constantly, and apply it to following my lifelong dream of becoming a professional soccer player.

 

I decided to transfer to Cal State University Fullerton, and I spent my first summer with Ventura County Fusion in the USL 2 and captained the team that won the National Championship. This was one of the best moments in my career that I will never forget. Coach Kuntz, my head coach at CSU Fullerton is the one who connected me with VC Fusion. I am forever grateful to Fusion for trusting in me to lead that team with incredible players, and what an entry to California that was!

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How has your experience been at Cal State Fullerton, as a student and as an athlete?

 

It has been an amazing experience at CSU Fullerton. I am majoring in Cinema and Television Arts and graduating this fall. I was also captain of the men’s soccer team for close to three years. I applied skills I learned at Navy and was able to heavily develop my leadership style at Fullerton. My job as a leader was to inspire my teammates to want more for themselves and reach stages in their life they never would have thought possible. 

 

Fullerton itself enriched me with connections that I will cherish for a lifetime and I owe it to them for giving me an opportunity to play the sport that I love with a school that I love, which ultimately led me to signing my first professional contract with New England Revolution II. Furthermore, the most amazing thing Fullerton has enriched me with is Faith, which has changed my life. My family always believed in God; however, I never really believed in him. This all changed for me when I discovered my Faith my senior year and became a Christian.
 

You were the first player in Cal State Fullerton history to be named Big West Defensive Player of the Year in addition to earning First Team All-Big West honors. Your individual accolades are well earned, but what did being named team captain mean to you? Did teammates vote or did coach select you?

 

​I owe all of the accolades and honors to God first. This would have never been possible if he didn’t stick with me. As Denzel Washington says “I didn’t always stick with him, but he always stuck with me.” It is an amazing feeling that all of my hard work paid off. Being team captain was an honor that I took very seriously. I gave everything I had to the program -  I would stay up late at night finding solutions for our team, talk to coaches 24/7, call individual players constantly, find ways to support players’ needs, find a way to get the team to work collectively to pursue a common goal and reach success.

My teammates never officially voted but I had close contact with almost everyone. My coaches picked me to be captain and I am extremely grateful to Coach Kuntz, Enrique Cardenas, and Irving Garcia for giving me an opportunity at CSU Fullerton and for their belief and trust in me to take charge of the squad. I also thank the players for trusting me during the best and difficult times.

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CAREER​

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What does your experience with the Puerto Rican Youth National Teams (U15, U17, U20) and Senior National Team (World Cup qualifiers at CONCACAF) mean to you?​


It is an honor to represent the island where your family is from. I have deep roots in Puerto Rico and am proud to be ‘Boricua’. It is a feeling like no other to give all you have for the relentless, hard working island of Puerto Rico.

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​Three words to describe Giovanni Calderon.

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Selfless, Courageous, Leader.

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Can you share the most valuable and powerful tools that education (university) has given you, both for playing soccer and for life?
 

The journey from high school to college, the struggle to get recruited and earn full college scholarships, is a tool in itself and a great test of one’s character development. The process taught me to be resilient, courageous and to do whatever it takes to accomplish my goals. I was never handed anything, everything was earned through patience, work ethic, discipline and can only happen with God. 


The Naval Academy not only enhanced my leadership skills and discipline but also taught me the meaning of commitment and to do all things with honor.
At CSU Fullerton, I learned how to adapt and hone my leadership style of loving tough instead of tough love. I adapted to teammates who came from places like me or worse, and learned how to inspire individuals. I also found a way to be of service to my community and make an impact, as well as develop mature relationships with people older than me. 

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ADVICE & LEGACY


When you were looking at colleges, what factors (about the school or soccer program) were important to you in your decision making?


When I was looking at colleges, I never had any requirements. I just wanted to go to a school that valued me and was going to give me a scholarship. I wanted to help my family, first and foremost. It didn’t matter where, just who would give me the best offer to go to college with the least hardship for my family. ACCESS U helped me achieve this and connected me with people that never would have known without their help. YSF also helped me during this process and everyone worked as a team to help me and my family.

 

What hurdles do Latinos face in accessing college? As someone who has been through the college application process, do you have any advice on how to overcome these challenges?
 

​On the east coast where I grew up, there weren’t many people who looked like me, understood me, or related to my culture. Latinos face many hurdles, but I think one of the biggest ones is lack of awareness of all the opportunities available to them that are out of this world. All you have to do is find them and give your absolute best. Oftentimes we as Latinos need to educate ourselves and push ourselves past barriers in our minds.

Our families teach us with what they know, but since they have struggled all their lives, their advice on life and experiences can be limited. It is your job to educate and push yourself past the limits your family has faced or taught you. It is an amazing feeling when you set a new standard for your family and loved ones. I think changing your mentality is the biggest struggle and ACCESS U helps you build your confidence and change your mindset to believe you can achieve anything despite your struggles.

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