I also had a handful of interactions with her as a student reporter back in the early 90s. She was always very gracious and engaging, but in my experience that’s kind of true of all politicians by definition.
The one thing that always stood out to me is the way she handled the dual assassination of mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk. I was just a little kid at the time, and the way she stepped up and took control of the situation filled me with admiration and confidence.
Maybe that was the high-point of her political career, I don’t know.
That said, you couldn’t be a Northern Californian at that time and not appreciate her leadership, no matter what else you may have disagreed with her about.
I say all of the above while not touching the obvious fact that she stayed in office far too long.