After attending Tillotson College in Austin, Texas for one year, Ms. Mitchell matriculated to Prairie View A&M University where in 1950 she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Home Economics. In an attempt to prepare herself for the desegregation of the public schools she applied for and was granted a stipend to attend a Summer Institute for Teachers and Supervisors of Disadvantaged Youth held at Pasadena College in Pasadena, California where she received college credits and a certificate. Ms. Mitchell received her Master of Education and her Administrative Certification from Texas Southern University. Because she was a Crossover teacher during the integration of the staff and the students of  HISD she was transferred rather rapidly over several years from school to school as teacher and assistant principal as a part of HISD's integration plan. These various experiences prepared her for her life long goal to become an effective educator.

Since her retirement Ms. Mitchell has actively been involved in a variety of activities. She served as an evaluator of teachers for HISD for three years, volunteered with the Literacy Volunteers of America Inc. to teach reading to adults for two years and was an adjunct professor at the University of Houston as supervisor of student teachers for the Aldine ISD and the Alief ISD. She volunteered as a patient representative at Memorial Herman Northwest Hospital four hours per week. She was a consultant in organizing a tutorial program at her church and taught there for one year. She has coordinated several weddings and wedding anniversaries. Ms. Mitchell helped organize the Alumni Association for the closed black Marshall High School in Angleton, Texas and spearheaded its first all school reunion in 1994. She served on the planning and registration committees for the 50^th anniversary of the Prairie View A & M University Class of 1950 which was held in October 2000. She has served on the calling committee of the Houston-Harris County Retired Teachers Association for several years. Although she has a thirst for learning, i.e. computer classes, creative writing classes, watercolor painting classes, bridge classes, line dancing and aerobics, an attempt at Spanish stopped her cold. After attending five weeks of a twelve week course she dropped the course. And she isn't usually a quitter.

 A motivational speaker, Ms. Mitchell has spoken at many schools and churches in Harris County, Fort Bend County and Brazoria County. She has spoken to HISD's Elementary School Counselors and two administrative classes at Texas Southern University. She has also served as a participant on educational panels at Texas Southern University and Antioch Baptist Church.

Ms. Mitchell is the author of The Learner's Creed, a motivational poem written for students. After being published in the Texas Monthly in December, 1990, the legacy of The Learner's Creed has grown to include many school districts in Texas. Former teachers have carried it to Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois and other states, and its use continues to spread through educators' meetings, workshops and conventions. Ms. Mitchell is the former owner and president of ESM Enterprise where in 1993 she began marketing the Learner's Creed on bookmarks, classroom posters, school banners and T-shirts. After saturating the market she has gone out of business and is concentrating her efforts toward writing and painting. She painted her Christmas cards for the year 2005. Each year since 1993  when she became an entrepreneur, she has given cash awards for Black History Month and later included  Hispanic Heritage Month at Allen Elementary School to encourage the students to be proud of their heritage and their culture. Also during this same time she has given 1^st and 2^nd  place cash awards for academic excellence to the kindergarten and fifth grade graduates  as a means of inspiring them to; as stated in the Learner's Creed, do their very best one day at a time. Ms. Mitchell has been doing genealogical research on her father's family since 1983 and has written a book of short stories about individual members of the Stewart family to leave for the children. She helped to make plans for a Stewart Family Reunion which was held in Houston, Texas in June 2008. At that time she presented her book of Creative Memoirs of the Stewart Family to members of the family.

She spends her leisure time  writing, painting,  and participating in aerobics at the YMCA gym. Ms. Mitchell collects refrigerator magnets, educational stamps, cups and saucers, and spoons from different cities and countries. She is a member of several organizations and Trinity United Methodist Church where The Rev. Dr. Robert E. McGee is pastor.

Ms. Mitchell has one daughter, Debra Castleberry who is an assistant principal in the Fort Bend ISD, and is the proud grandmother of Tiffany, a graduate of University of Houston, and Kimberlyn, a graduate of Southwest Texas University in San Marcos, Texas. Tiffany and her husband, George presented Ms. Mitchell with her first and only great  grandchild, A BOY, Chase, her pride and joy.

Ms. Mitchell was passionate about her work with children and has a wall full of plaques and awards which include; those from her many speaking engagements, the Houston Independent School District, the Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators, Houston Independent School District Administrators, Former District H City Councilman Felix Fraga, Former District B City Councilman Michael Yarbrough, and others. She has received proclamations and recognitions from the former Mayor of Houston, Kathy Whitmire, the former Governor of Texas, William F. Clements Jr. and the former Governor of Minnesota, Rudy Perpich. But of all her awards she is most humbled by, and appreciative of the esteem distinction given her by the members of the Houston-Harris County Retired Teachers Association, a  great organization. She is proud to be a member. 

The Learner's Creed 

I believe in myself and my ability to do my best at all times. Because I am responsible for my life and for all of my actions:
I will listen,
I will see,
I will speak,
I will feel,
I will think,
I will reason,
I will read,
I will write,
I will do all these things with one purpose in mind.
To do my best and not to waste this day for this day will come no more. 

By Ernestine Mitchell