Mentor Award Kathleen Cargill

By Andrea Busche

The Rosie Awards “Mentor Award” is given to a woman among us who has acted as an experienced and trusted adviser to those around her. Duluth resident Kathleen Cargill’s life story is chock full of examples of guidance and mentorship she has shared with others.

“I think I was put on this earth to help other people,” she stated simply.

It started back in the 1980s, when she was a vocational rehabilitation counselor in Lakeland, Fla.

“I worked with people with disabilities, to help them get trained and into the workforce,” she said.

She also worked on behalf of the American Indian population to help them locate job placements.

When her husband, Mike, was recruited for a job by Cirrus Aircraft, the couple moved to Duluth in 1993, and Cargill dove in to finding new opportunities for herself. She started working for the College of St. Scholastica (CSS) in 1993 as a student support services counselor where she helped lowincome, first-generation college students remain in school.

“That mentoring situation wasn’t just providing academic guidance,” she said. “It was also asking them questions like, ‘Do you have enough to eat?’”

Later, Cargill wrote a grant proposal to create a McNair Scholars program at CSS, where she became director. She helped students, many of whom were first-generation and/ or students of color, prepare for graduate school. She also taught anthropology courses at CSS for 10 years.

Over the years, she has continued to lead and teach. Although she is now retired from academia, Cargill remains active with other endeavors, with an emphasis on teaching.

“I really enjoy teaching,” she said. “I find things I enjoy and then teach them to others.”

Today, she is a participant/mentor with the Twin Ports Genealogical Society and teaches genealogy courses for the adult education programs in Proctor, Duluth and for the St. Louis County Historical Society. Additionally, she operates a small, artisanal sewing business, and is a published author.

Cargill was nominated for the Mentor award by her friend, Cora Knutson.

“Kathleen Cargill has been a mentor in both a personal and professional capacity for more than 30 years,” said Knutson in her nomination. “In the 1980s, as a senior counselor for the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, she guided and mentored people to obtain the skills necessary to re-enter the workforce.

“Here in Duluth, she has mentored students at the College of St. Scholastica as a student support services counselor, helping them cope and providing the tools and encouragement needed to complete their courses of study. She has taught many anthropology and genealogy courses, too.

“Kathleen has also provided assistance to genealogy researchers, and has been an active participant and mentor in the Twin Ports Genealogical Society. Many have relied on her counsel and expertise, and I believe she is an excellent example of both the wisdom and the generosity of spirit the Mentor award represents.”

Cargill was surprised to be the recipient of this award.

“I was absolutely speechless,” she said. “I’m thankful, and really appreciate the recognition.” D

Continued from page 11 with cancer, he suggested she donate them to the St. Luke’s infusion center, where he was receiving treatment. During his illness, Hamilton was Dino’s caregiver, and the two grew especially close during this time.

Fast forward a few years, and Hamilton, who is retired from a long career at St. Louis County, has now made and donated well over 500 dolls. Her creations have been given away at St. Luke’s, Mayo Clinic, Hope Lodge (a free lodging facility for families near the Mayo Clinic), and other infusion centers in the Twin Cities. She also uses her sewing skills to make masks, which she donates to support the efforts against COVID-19.

Sadly, Dino passed away in January 2020. She now refers to the dolls as “Dino’s Dammit Dolls,” and continues making and donating them in his honor.

Hamilton was nominated for the Silent Advocate award by her husband, John Hamilton.

“Geri makes Dammit Dolls for the infusion center at St Luke’s, the Mayo and other cancer centers. These dolls come with a saying for cancer victims and other diseases. They are about 15 inches tall and have patterns for men and women. She puts them in infusion centers where they are always wanted and talked about, and they are free. She started doing this when her brother went through pancreatic cancer. Sadly, after two years, her brother passed. But she is still making them. It brings her close to her brother, she says.”

“It was pretty touching,” Hamilton said about receiving this award. “I do this because I enjoy seeing people smile. It makes them feel good, and it also makes me feel good.” D