By Jacqueline Zuniga

Singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist Dolly Parton passed away at 80 on Aug. 25, after a brief battle with cancer. She was a ten time Grammy winner known for her songs Jolene, 9 to 5 and I Will Always Love You. Students around Cal Poly Humboldt have been shocked and hurt by the news of her passing.

“One of the biggest heartbreaks of this year for me,” junior environmental studies major Alejandro Paz said. “A lot of her philanthropy work…her book program and teachings, definitely resonated with me.”

Parton founded the Dollywood Foundation in 1988, inspiring children in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up, to achieve educational success with the help of Dolly Parton Scholarships.Dolly Parton Imagination Library mailed high quality books to children from birth to the age of five in communities across the United States, as well as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and Australia. Parton also funded COVID vaccine research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, later the developers of the Moderna vaccine. 

“I thought of Miley Cyrus, Sabrina Carpenter and the Nashvillers who have gone to the Dolly Parton bar,” senior English education major Naidely Gonzales said. 

Parton was Disney Channel star Miley Cyrus’s godmother after becoming close to her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, while touring with him. Carpenter and Parton worked closely together on the remix of Carpenter’s song Please Please Please and was an inspiration for Carpenter. 

With so much work done around the world, people can’t believe she’s gone.

“I had to genuinely take a second because I’m from Austin, Texas, and Dolly is such a huge part of Austin culture,” Ava Hernandez, a general biology junior, said. 

Parton’s impact in Austin started in the 80s and continued throughout her career. Parton’s 1982 film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas premiered in Austin and was filmed across Texas.

“She represents such love and kindness; everything she stands for is just so positive and bright,” Hernandez said. 

As per an executive order from president Donald Trump all flags, such as the one in front of the library, should be flown at half staff for Dolly Parton.

 Jacqueline is a journalism major, a news manager for KRFH, sports editor for the Lumberjack and she aspires to be a sports journalist one day