Eric Scott Estes

I wish to express a sense of profound loss and offer my condolences to the family of Eric Estes. Eric was a warm, wise, and generous friend and colleague. I worked closely with Eric over many years hosting programs under the auspices of the Consortium on High Achievement and Success (CHAS). I was also in touch with Eric through Trinity College, where I served as a student affairs administrator, and fondly remember how enthusiastically Eric welcomed me to join him and his fellow alumni during the celebration of their reunion. Eric was a loving, thoughtful human being whom I will miss deeply.

My heart just broke a little. Without this man, I never would have had the experiences I had as an assistant dean and director of a multicultural resource center at 25. I wouldn´t have learned how to create and facilitate power, privilege, and oppression workshops for higher education staff, students, and faculty. I wouldn´t have had the opportunity to learn about and protect for as long as I could, as much as I could, the legacy of the MRC at Oberlin. I wouldn´t have met the hundreds of amazing students, artists, colleagues, and visiting guests who changed my life for the better. I wouldn´t have believed a career in higher education administration was possible. Though he wasn´t perfect, no human is, Eric´s legacy stood the test of time because he had no problem being a moral compass for the entire field.

There´s a reason why, when I could, I created the MRC´s Eric Estes Living Legacy Award in 2018. He was tickled that I put his name on something, but he made me revise it. It had to be for the community. A crystal trophy, but it was something! It´s because I truly believed in giving folks their flowers in real time. Darlin´, if you saw him at Oberlin´s Drag Ball, you witnessed a legend!!!! Slayed everytime.
And the endless hours chatting and talking about life because during my first few months in Oberlin, he took me in!! I was his housemate, twice! Once, when I moved out of Oberlin in 2014, and once again, when I moved back years later. That´s love. That´s friendship. That´s generosity.

I learned so much from him in those days! He inspired me to pursue doctoral studies, because I wanted to understand the source and impact of his theory of leadership. He taught me how to handle situations under pressure and how to genuinely show up as oneself in an increasingly hostile political climate. He was an advocate for Black women leaders and he was especially passionate about supporting all students: LGBTQIA students, FLI students, Black and Indigenous students, athletes, student government leaders, community organizers, protesters, whatever category you name, he was their advocate. Eric always believed in the students, and he always held that his job was to help them learn, grow, and become better people in the world. He put his words into actions and deeds, everytime.

Behind closed doors, he was the same. At the table, he was the same. On his phone, he was the same. And if you were lucky like me, he brought a chair for you to sit at the table with him. He was the type of man to raise your name up in rooms you weren´t yet present in.

There are no words to describe the loss this is to higher education and to student affairs. May he be remembered as the giant, the legend, the brilliant leader that he was!

Students at Brown may not know it just yet, but they just lost a real one.