Esteban's 10 years of revolutionary leadership comes to an end this weekend. Though he's still officially on the job for a few more weeks, the graduation ceremonies Saturday and Sunday morning will be his last visible public act as he sits on the stage at University Stadium and presents the candidates for graduation.

The many tributes are testament to the respect Esteban has earned on campus and in the community. He performed a difficult job well. He is one of the most recognizable people in Chico, and perhaps the most in-demand, yet he always has time for everyone, and he always remembers people. He has a way of making everyone from a freshman student to state legislators feel important and valued. He brought people together - and it was all the more remarkable because he followed on the heels of a president who seemed to only have a knack for pushing people apart.

Esteban has been instrumental in improving the university's values, its academics and its financial standing. He has fought the party-school image that has dogged the university for decades. The school is now more selective in its admissions and drawing high school students with a higher median grade-point average than ever before. The university is now a perennial top selection on one magazine's list of the nation's top public institutions. He has been instrumental in bringing seven Nobel Prize winners to speak on campus. He has helped the campus bring in more gifts and donations than ever. He has helped secure funding for several new buildings on an aging campus.

For all that he has done for students and the university, he will be remembered by most in the community as a good person. That's why it is fortunate that Esteban and his wife Gloria plan to stay in Chico after retirement, where we expect they will remain active community members. Esteban won't be easy to replace on campus but at least the community won't have to worry about replacing him.