MANKATO — As dozens waited outside Mankato West High School Wednesday for a Democratic National Convention watch party, one of Gov. Tim Walz’s former colleagues reflected on working with the vice presidential nominee.
Current Mankato West High School social studies teacher Michael Sipe said he always suspected Walz would move beyond Minnesota eventually.
“We always kind of thought well, maybe a cabinet position, Department of Veterans Affairs or something, but obviously vice presidential candidate is pretty darn exciting,” he said.
Sipe added that Walz would take his empathetic traits with him to office if elected.
“Tim was always very good and still is with people of all walks of life, of all shapes and sizes. I think that’s probably his strong point. He doesn’t see the world through tunnel vision by any way, shape or form. He’s very accepting of others,” he said.
Sipe was among an energetic crowd of Mankato residents, elected officials, out-of-town residents and more to watch Walz accept the vice presidential nomination from the auditorium of his former workplace Wednesday.
Before Walz took the stage in Chicago, some of his former students, including 2001 Mankato West graduate Blake Frink, spoke to the crowd in Mankato.
“(Walz) made it his purpose to build relationships with every single student that entered his classroom, including myself, and really making people feel seen and making people feel heard,” Frink said.
“When you’re having a bad day, you can almost guarantee that he would make you smile just being in his classroom.”
Attendees weren’t shy to hold up signs supporting the Harris/Walz campaign and cheer during other speeches of the night, including former President Bill Clinton’s.
The event attracted out-of-towners including Barb Matz and Steve McKelvey of Northfield, who said they were inspired to come thanks to their own background as educators.
“It’s really exciting to me that my state is, I can’t believe it… that somebody like Tim Walz (could) be vice president is amazing to me,” Matz said.
“The energy of the national convention in Chicago has really been infectious to me,” McKelvey added.
Charlotte Gallagher, of Good Thunder, and Tammy Oachs, of Mankato, also said they thought it was exciting to have a local candidate.
Gallagher said she wanted to attend the Wednesday watch party to be a part of history.
“Honestly, right because I really feel a lot more optimistic right now than I had been feeling, and I just think that he’s going to be our vice president,” she said.
Governor Walz was nominated by Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Ben Ingman, Walz’s former student and next door neighbor.
Earlier at the convention, short videos were shown highlighting Walz’s service in the National Guard and as a teacher.
One of those videos featured his former students: Nate Hood, Sarah Manes, Josh Jagdfeld, Jacob Reitan, Kent Wawrzynaik and Frink, who was at the watch party.