MANKATO, Minn. – Krista Goettl, who graduated from Mankato West High School in 2002, recounted a moment when Mr. Walz hurried around the school on September 11, 2001, checking on students while images of the Twin Towers burning were shown on hallway televisions. This gesture made her feel somewhat secure amid the chaos.

Kourtney McConville, also a 2002 graduate, shared how Mr. Walz supported her female varsity basketball coach as an assistant coach. His involvement helped her feel confident that there were other positive role models for her as she grew into adulthood.

Lindsey Northenscold, a graduate of 2007, recalled how Mr. Walz would sit on a desk in class—an act that made him seem approachable, despite being a teacher. His caring attitude inspired her so much that she now works as a school social worker in the same district.

It’s not a typical occurrence for a former teacher to be a vice presidential candidate. For Tim Walz’s former students—who still refer to him as Mr. Walz—his rapid rise to national prominence has been astonishing. This became even more evident on Wednesday night, as they gathered for a watch party while he accepted the nomination in Chicago, which is 150 miles away.

In the small yet vibrant city of Mankato in southern Minnesota, locals are buzzing about having one of their own in the national limelight.

“We’re really thrilled,” said Jane Petersen, 72, a retiree who spends two days a week at the local library. “Many people are excited about this.”

Mike Laven, who has been the president of the Mankato City Council since 2000, usually avoids political events because of his nonpartisan position. However, he felt differently about the watch party held at the school where Walz taught and coached.

“This is a unique situation where I just don’t care what it looks like,” he remarked. “It’s a hometown matter; that’s one of our own.”

Laven noted that Walz has always been approachable, warm, and very attentive to local concerns, even as he transitioned from being a teacher to a congressman and then governor.

Saying hello to Walz and his wife Gwen in town felt like chatting with any local resident, he added. “That’s just how they conduct themselves.”

In the high school auditorium where many had gathered years ago for pep rallies, former students squealed in astonishment when they spotted their classmates—members of the championship football team—sharing the stage with Walz at the DNC.

“What on earth is going on?!” Ann Vote exclaimed in joyful disbelief to another former classmate.

“I’m getting goosebumps,” said Katie Ryan, who graduated in 2001 with Vote, shortly after Walz’s speech.

Walz emphasized his identity as a former football coach during his address, encouraging supporters to stay motivated as they approached the election’s final stages. When McConville was asked about the focus on their championship season, she remarked that it was a significant event back then.

“We often went in expecting to lose, yet it instilled a great sense of pride about our origins,” she noted. “This feeling tonight is very similar.”

Jean Peterson, 93, who raised her family in Lake Washington and was instrumental in starting the local Children’s Museum, expressed her admiration for Walz’s teaching and coaching abilities.

“He was an outstanding teacher and a terrific coach,” she remarked, adding that he brings a “common man” appeal to his campaign.

“I’m not completely surprised he was chosen. He’d make an excellent vice president; we just hope we don’t lose him. He has done a lot for Minnesota.”

Nora Henry, 58, although she has never met Walz, noted that her daughter was friends with his daughter, Hope. She suggested that Walz’s viral video with Hope at the Minnesota State Fair illustrates his approachable nature.

“That is one of his wonderful qualities,” she explained. “He might appear to be a simple country guy, but he’s also very clever and quick-witted.”

A friend texted Henry inquiring, “Is this guy for real?”

“I believe some aspects may be polished, but fundamentally, what you see is who he truly is,” she responded.

However, not everyone shares the enthusiasm regarding a hometown connection at the forefront of the Democratic ticket. Dawn DeLaCruz, 66, mentioned that she supported former President Barack Obama in 2008 but has since changed her voting patterns.

According to DeLaCruz, the events that unfolded during the protests and subsequent riots in Minneapolis and St. Paul in 2020, following George Floyd’s death at the hands of police, demonstrated a lack of control in the cities. She expressed, “For me, the entire situation in the Cities overshadowed any other actions the Harris-Walz Democratic team might have taken while in office as governor. I worry about a county operating without laws or regulations if they come to power.”