Since 2008, there has never been a time when a Calderón sibling wasn't attending Whitworth. That incredible streak will end when Elena Calderón, the youngest of 10, graduates in 2026. All but one of the siblings majored in at least one STEM discipline.
"Education has always been a priority in my family," says Elena, an applied mathematics and physics double major. "My parents taught us kids that we were going to be used in significant ways to further the kingdom of God. We all had tools that needed to be developed, and the go-to way to develop those skills was to pursue higher education."
In the Calderón family, that pursuit goes beyond bachelor's degrees. All of the children plan to or have pursued graduate education, including doctors of philosophy in the sciences and doctors of medicine. All are focused on serving God and humanity through their vocations.
The children's love for learning was instilled in them by their parents, Lorena and Carlos Calderón, immigrants from El Salvador who themselves hold advanced degrees. The couple, who serve the church through global missions, home-educated each of their kids starting in the third grade.
"We wanted to equip our kids to be more effective in the world by giving them a holistic foundation – mind, heart, body, soul and spirit," Carlos says.
Lorena says the family's schooldays were long and highly structured, starting at 5:30 a.m. with devotionals, followed by Bible study, school and extracurriculars. "We wanted our kids to rejoice in learning," she says.
When the family moved to Spokane from Texas in 2007, they felt God's calling for the children to attend Whitworth following community college.
"My family's house was a hub of support for learning since before I was born," Elena says. "My parents would support us kids, the older kids would support the younger kids, and occasionally the younger kids would even support the older. This support included helping each other study for quizzes, being a shoulder to cry on and praying for each other."
The Calderòn family poses for an affectionate photo at their home in 2011, when the three oldest children were finishing their degrees at Whitworth.
This nurturing hub extended beyond the family, as the Calderóns opened their home to countless Whitworth students for meals and study sessions (their kitchen features a full-size whiteboard).
For Carlos and Lorena, Whitworth has been a testament to God's faithfulness.
"We are most grateful to Whitworth and to the many professors, parents, foundations, donors, supporters, and people who pray that make Whitworth possible, of which we are beneficiaries," Carlos says. "We take Whitworth as God's provision for us."
Lorena and Carlos Calderón visit with their youngest daughter, Elena Calderón '26, at the coffee bar in Robinson Science Hall.
This story appears in the spring 2025 issue of Whitworth Today magazine.
