When I went to college, my goal was to be a college history teacher. I majored in history.

Mitchell’s remark underscores the contingency of career paths and the way early ambitions can differ sharply from later public roles. By recalling that he entered college intending to teach history and that he formally trained in the discipline, he frames his eventual rise—as a lawyer, U.S. senator, Senate majority leader, and international negotiator—as something not preordained. The quote also hints at the practical value of historical study: learning to weigh evidence, understand institutions over time, and interpret competing narratives—skills that translate readily to politics and diplomacy even if one never becomes an academic historian.