In 2016, Isabela Perkins was a senior at the Ann Richards School when she interviewed the country music icon at Dollywood for her school’s annual fundraising gala.

AUSTIN, Texas — Tributes are pouring in from around the world following the death of country music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton at age 80.

Among those mourning her is a former Austin student who interviewed Parton as a teenager – an experience she says has stayed with her for a decade.

Isabela Perkins is now 28 and living in Houston. Ten years ago, she was a senior at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders in Austin.



This story continues below.

Perkins won an essay contest that gave her the opportunity to interview Parton at Dollywood for her school’s annual fundraising gala, Reach for the Stars.

“I still can’t believe that it happened,” Perkins said.

Perkins said she was surprised when she learned she had won.

“She’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of star, philanthropist, all of the above,” Perkins said. “So, I thought, ‘Why not?’ And I honestly didn’t think that I would get it, and I got it.”

Perkins spent two months preparing for the interview during her lunch breaks. When the big day arrived, she said she was nervous before Parton walked into the room.

“I was so nervous before. I was like, ‘What am I doing? Like, I can’t, I can’t do this,’” Perkins recalled.

But Parton’s personality quickly helped calm her nerves.

“She was just very down-to-earth and very bubbly, as you could imagine,” Perkins said.

During the interview, Perkins asked Parton about her proudest accomplishments, challenges she faced as a woman in the music industry and the women who inspired her. That included Ann Richards, the late Texas governor and namesake of Perkins’ school.

Parton recalled her relationship with Richards and their shared sense of humor.

“When I’d come to Texas, we’d laugh our butts off because we had a very similar sense of humor because we grew up the same way,” Parton said.

Perkins ended the interview by asking Parton what advice she would give her 17- or 18-year-old self.

Parton’s answer became one of the moments Perkins remembers most.

“I personally think your real strength is inside you,” Parton told her.

Perkins said that message took on even greater meaning as she experienced major moments in her life. That included the death of her father, Omar Sanchez, six years ago.

“We see people like Dolly do these huge, massive things,” Perkins said. “I think that gives us the strength and guidance to, you know, keep going, and I think that definitely stuck with me.”

Perkins also described Parton as a guiding light for the LGBTQ+ community, which Perkins said is especially impactful for her and her wife.

Now, following Parton’s death, Perkins plans to watch their interview again. For Perkins, it was a conversation that lasted only minutes but left an impact that has lasted a lifetime.

Watch Perkins’ full interview with Parton here.