PASSWORDMANAGEMENT
Honoring the Legacy of Miguel de Jes煤s
The day after Thanksgiving, our college lost a dear friend, colleague, and mentor, Miguel de Jes煤s. His passing has been felt deeply across our campus and far beyond it, by students, faculty, staff, alumni, community partners, and countless others whose lives he touched through his generosity, wisdom, and service. Miguel passed in peace, surrounded by his loved ones.
The first time I ever saw Miguel, he was speaking at a Dean鈥檚 List Breakfast and wearing a bright red clown nose. He was encouraging students to embrace hard work, purpose, and service, and there he was, smiling broadly through that unmistakable prop. At first, I couldn鈥檛 get past the clown nose. But before long, it became clear that it represented something essential about Miguel: he was wise without being self-important, joyful without being frivolous, and deeply human in everything he did. He believed leadership could be both serious and joyful, and that service should always include a sense of humility and warmth.
In the final weeks of his life, Miguel reflected to me on how meaningful his time at CSU San Marcos had been. He spoke about how much he loved this place, the students, the mission, the opportunity to give back. Supporting students was not simply a role for him. It was a calling. He saw mentorship as a privilege, and he carried that responsibility with intention and care. One memory captures this perfectly. We were walking together during a busy U-Hour on campus, as students staffed pop-up tents and shared information about clubs and causes, Miguel paused to speak with a student volunteering at one of the booths. In just a few minutes, he had listened deeply, recognized the student鈥檚 potential, and identified that mentorship could make a real difference to the student鈥檚 success. Without hesitation, he offered to serve as a mentor for the student. There was no scheduling, no formality, but just an instinct to step in and help. Service was not something Miguel did; it was who he was.
That same heart for people defined every chapter of his professional life. Miguel often shared stories from his years at Paychex and Xerox, traveling, selling services, leading teams, but those stories were never really about sales. They were about integrity, preparation, leadership, and showing up fully for others. He had a gift for turning experience into insight, and insight into encouragement. Miguel was also immensely proud of his work with The Honor Foundation, where he mentored veterans transitioning out of special forces roles into civilian life. He understood the complexity of that transition and deeply respected the individuals he worked with. He believed in their leadership, their resilience, and their capacity to continue serving in new ways. They trusted him, and he honored that trust.
In the days following his passing, hundreds of people have shared their reflections on Miguel鈥檚 impact on social media. The themes are strikingly consistent. He was described as a life-changing mentor, a transformational leader, and a man defined by kindness, wisdom, humility, and service. Many recalled his infectious smile and laughter, his ability to light up a room, and the way his presence made others feel seen and valued. Repeatedly, people shared sentiments like: He believed in me before I believed in myself. He made me a better leader. I鈥檓 a better person because of Miguel. He changed my life. That is not a r茅sum茅. That is a legacy. Miguel often said, 鈥淧ut me in, coach.鈥 Even toward the end, he wanted to be back in the game, contributing, mentoring, serving.
The best way we can honor him is to continue what he modeled so effortlessly: to serve our students with heart, to lift others up, and to believe in a person鈥檚 potential before it is fully realized. We miss our colleague and friend, but if we carry even a small part of his example forward, Miguel de Jes煤s remains very much with us: In our work, in our mission, and in the lives we help shape every day.
- Roger Herzler, Director of Operations and Career Partnerships