The Virginia G. Piper
Center for Creative Writing

Kyle Mitchell is Diné (Navajo), Storyteller, Educator, and Veteran. He grew up on the reservation with his grandparents, where he learned the family’s work ethic along with oral tradition every day. After graduating high school, he enlisted into the Army where he served two tours – one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. After his discharge from the military, he decided to pursue his higher education at South Mountain Community College and later went on to Arizona State University. Kyle is currently the Program Manager for South Mountain Community College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs, managing extended campuses in Guadalupe and Laveen, and adjunct faculty member of the Storytelling Institute at SMCC. Mitchell believes that sharing the power of oral traditions can reinforce a sense of self-identity for individuals and breakdown stereotypes towards Indigenous communities.