A successful Olympic wrestling coach, a soccer coach, a former principal, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the current Milpitas DECA advisor, the list goes on and on. Hospitality and Tourism Academy Teacher William Mitchell is very dedicated in his career to help the community.
As a 17 year old junior in high school Mitchell lived in a car because he came from a broken home, he said. Mitchell has an identical twin brother who put him through college who he now helps with business-related finances, he added.
“There is no free time. I’m the Olympic development coach for California. I’m a couple time world team coach for the United States,” Mitchell said. “I am also on the national coaching team staff for wrestling so as well as I represent the U.S. on many different athletic trips with wrestling working with the world teams and such programs”, Mitchell added, “to do what I love and I’m passionate about while I’m young. “
Mitchell entered the corporate world and landed jobs right out of college, he said. As an entrepreneur, he enjoys business but later left and decided to get a teaching degree and a masters in school administration, Mitchell continued. He is currently finishing up his Ph.D, he added.
“I was a teacher and coach. There as a teacher I taught business and marketing as well as a soccer coach and wrestling coach, both men’s and women’s soccer,” Mitchell said. “Then [I] worked into being the summer school principal then the dean of students.”
Mitchell worked as a principal for 12 years and also coached at the same district for 12 years at Hazelwood West High School in St. Louis, Missouri, Mitchell said. After, he moved to California and worked at Menlo College up until last year. Enrollment at the college was down therefore he pursued a job in the MUSD District, he explained.
“The students in the [MUSD] community are supportive and willing to help and Mr.Schlaff has been an unbelievable guidance for me this year in a new position as well as being the lead position for the travel and tourism academy,” Mitchell said. “I got a huge career ahead of me. I sold a couple of companies, so I figure why this shouldn’t be the moment to do that. I was an investor the last few years of the business I was involved with and so that’s why I still have the ability to work in education. “
He is also the current advisor of the DECA club at MHS, Mitchell said. The current DECA club at MHS had no infrastructure; the marketing club or DECA program at the previous school he taught at, is a student-run club that is school sponsored, Mitchell said.
“It was a school sponsored club that helped students excel in the business ranks and move onto attending colleges and universities that will best suit them for their future needs,” Mitchell said. “For my role and my perspective, we need to change the vision and create an infrastructure that’s going to develop great business leaders in the community,” Mitchell added.
According to Mitchell, he enjoys getting involved in the community and sees himself as a community leader. He worked with many city councils and the chamber of commerce to raise community awareness.
“I’ve just now been asked to be on the Board of Directors for the Milpitas Chamber of Commerce,” Mitchell said. “I’ve served on the chamber of commerce in St. Louis. I was selected in 2011 as they choose 30 business leaders in their 30s.”
He took guardianship of a 15-year-old African-American child off the street in 2008 whom currently attends a college in St. Louis at the current age of 20, according to Mitchell. He is a multiple time national champion, Mitchell added.”