Hamilton woman remembers her high school teacher as 'the real deal.' Maybe you've heard of Tim Walz

When Amanda Hinkle thinks about her time in high school in Minnesota, she remembers a geography teacher who kept the class engaged and volunteered after school to help build the theatre sets she designed. 

There are probably lots of people in Hamilton who have fond memories of their teachers. But Hinkle's memories are unique in that, by this time next month, Tim Walz might be voted in as U.S. vice-president.

"Growing up, everyone's always poo-pooing politicians and saying they're crooked. I've just always known him to be one of the most loving and caring adults in my life, and I can't imagine a better person for this role," Hinkle said. "He is the real deal."

Hinkle, who lives in Hamilton's Kirkendall neighbourhood, moved to the city in 2018.

Born and raised in the United States, she started attending Mankato West High School in Mankato, Minn., in 1996. She was in a class taught by Walz, now Minnesota's governor and the Democratic nominee for vice-president who's running alongside presidential candidate Kamala Harris. They're up against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his choice for vice-president, J.D. Vance, for the Nov. 5 election.

Hinkle also got lessons from Walz's wife Gwen, who taught her drama. Now an educator in the theatre world, the ex-patriate said she learned a lot from both of them and has followed Walz's political career. 

Recently, Hinkle was a guest at the Democratic Party's summer convention and an organizer of an online rally. 

She said she has numerous positive memories about Tim and Gwen Walz, and called them the "cutest couple in the school."

Tim "has just always been a really transparent educator. He'll tell you if he doesn't know something," Hinkle said.

Walz has received some criticism to the contrary on the campaign trail.

For example, he has inflated his military rank and said his family used one form of fertility treatment, later saying they had used another. Walz also repeatedly said he was in Hong Kong during China's 1989 student uprising, which was not true. 

At this month's vice-presidential debate, where moderators put both Vance and Walz on the spot about politically problematic parts of their records, Walz was asked about the Hong Kong claim.

He did not initially answer the question, saying, "I will talk a lot. I will get caught up in the rhetoric," but eventually said: "I got there that summer and misspoke."

For her part, Hinkle remembers Walz set a positive example when it came to supporting others in the community. He was faculty adviser to the gay-straight-alliance club her friend Jake Reitan started. She also remembers him encouraging students to volunteer their help when there was a natural disaster in a nearby community.