Dolly Parton’s Lasting Legacy on the Mesa

By Maree Hawkins' 28

The passing of 11-time Grammy Award winner Dolly Parton left its mark on the Mesa, as students and faculty mourned the loss of a cultural icon

The 11-time Grammy Award winner, Dolly Parton, passed away on August 25, 2026, in her home state of Tennessee. 

She grew up in a tiny, two-room log cabin in Locust Ridge, a rural community in the Great Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, Tennessee. There, she was the fourth of 12 children.

People magazine describes her humble childhood as what “shaped her into a wildly successful country superstar.” While Dolly was best known for her country classics—"Jolene," "I Will Always Love You," and "9 to 5," to name a few— audiences will long remember her for her deep kindness and dedicated philanthropy. She was quoted as saying, “You can be rich in spirit, kindness, love, and all those things that you can't put a dollar sign on” (Grazia Daily). 

Parton’s kindness shone through every part of her life and even reached the Mesa and the Santa Barbara community. For over a decade, the United Way of Santa Barbara County has partnered with Dolly Parton’s nonprofit, the Imagination Library, to mail free books to local children under 5 years old. 

The program has brought more than 330 million books to children across America experiencing poverty and hardship, and more than 150,000 to Santa Barbara County. Parton’s enthusiasm for education stemmed from her fundamental belief that it opened doors that would otherwise remain sealed shut. 

Dolly Parton famously said, "If you can read, you can self-educate yourself, and you're just lost if you can't” (Tulsa Kids Magazine). It’s safe to say that Dolly spent her life believing that hard situations don’t define who you are.

When reflecting on Dolly's legacy of kindness, Cate Vocal Director Gabriel Di Gennaro (Deeg) said, "[Dolly] inspires me to stick to my beliefs…if I see something wrong, I speak up for it, [and] if I see something beautiful, I speak up for it." 

Highlighting Dolly's commitment to activism through her music and unyielding defense of human rights, Deeg praised her vaccination campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic: Dolly went on live TV and changed the lyrics of her hit "Jolene" to "Vaccine." 

Dolly's activism is only one part of what makes her influence so lasting. Her music has also shaped the Cate community in more personal ways, something Deeg's own bond with her songs makes clear.  He recalls his favorite Dolly song, “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” which Cate's a cappella group, No Strings Attached, sang at Deeg's first Winter by Candlelight concert. While Dolly's music touched the hearts of many on the Mesa, Deeg says her character and charity work truly distinguished her as an "icon." 

Dolly Parton’s success as a woman in the male-dominated field of country music is another integral piece of her legacy. 

To highlight Dolly’s influence on women on the Mesa, Junior Aggie McTigue recalled Dolly’s songs and how they shaped her childhood. Aggie said, “[Dolly’s] focus on feminism [and her] views on poverty and family…teach an important lesson…and formed ideals that I still hold with me today.” Indeed, Aggie’s favorite Dolly Parton song, “Coat of Many Colors,” traces both Dolly’s childhood lack of material wealth and the abundance of emotional wealth found chiefly in her mother’s love.

Dolly Parton's legacy stretches from a two-room cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to the classrooms and concerts on the Mesa. Through free books for local children, a voice that spoke up for what she believed in, and songs that taught a generation of Rams about worth beyond wealth, she showed that kindness was the heart of her success. Dolly may be gone, but the generosity she championed remains here, and it will be carried on by everyone she inspired.