At Athletic Club Boise, the Community Impact STAR — Service, Teamwork, Accountability, and Responsibility — is symbolized by a single purple chair inside our stadium.
The chair reflects both the eye of the falcon in our crest and the Idaho star garnet. More importantly, it represents the people and organizations who strengthen our community in lasting ways, those who show up for others, create opportunity, and help shape a stronger future for Idaho.
During our September 30 international friendly against Cancún FC, Athletic Club Boise recognized Luis Caloca, Dean of Student Access at College of Western Idaho (CWI), as our latest Community Impact STAR honoree.
FROM THE FIELDS TO COLLEGE
Caloca began working in the agricultural fields of the Treasure Valley when he was 12 years old.
He knew it was not the future he wanted, but he did not yet know how to build a different path. For Caloca, education became the answer.
“College was the way,” he says. “That was a surefire way to do something different.”
Getting there was not easy. By the middle of July before his first semester, Caloca had missed important deadlines and had not completed the steps needed to enroll. People stepped in to guide him through the admissions process, help him apply for financial aid, and find the funding he needed to begin.
That support changed the direction of his life.
OPENING DOORS FOR OTHERS
Today, Caloca helps students overcome those same barriers.
As CWI’s Dean of Student Access, he leads teams responsible for admissions and One Stop Student Services, helping students navigate the process of starting — and staying — in college.
Caloca joined CWI as a founding staff member in 2008, before the college welcomed its first class. Since then, he has helped improve policies, communication, and student-facing tools with one goal in mind: making education easier to access.
“Creating opportunities for others is important to me because I had so many people help me along the way,” he says.
GIVING BACK THROUGH SERVICE
Caloca’s commitment to students extends beyond his work at CWI.
He co-founded Future Hispanic Leaders of America in 1997 and continues to serve as its state advisor, helping Idaho high school students develop leadership skills and pursue higher education. He has also supported local education, scholarship, and business organizations throughout the Treasure Valley.
For Caloca, that service is a way to continue the cycle of support that helped him find his own path.
“I feel like I need to give back because there are so many folks that helped me along the way,” he says. “It gives me motivation to continue doing the good work that I do.”
THE POWER OF A TEAM
Caloca sees a strong connection between education, service and sport.
Team sports teach young people how to communicate, contribute, and work toward a shared goal. Success or failure never belongs to one person alone — it takes the entire group.
That same lesson applies to helping students and strengthening a community.
“We couldn’t do it without you,” Caloca says. “It takes a village.”
Whether someone contributes time, expertise, mentorship, or financial support, each act can create new possibilities for students, teachers, and families.
A COMMUNITY READY FOR SOCCER
Caloca and many of his colleagues had been waiting for professional soccer to arrive in the Treasure Valley.
For him, Athletic Club Boise represents more than competition. It is another place where the community can come together, support one another, and recognize people working to make Idaho stronger.
“The fact that you came up with this Purple Seat and acknowledge folks who do something for our community is so amazing,” he says.
To learn more about College of Western Idaho and its student resources, visit cwi.edu.