Facing Arizona: Valley storytelling program has brought me new joy

Editor’s note: Facing Arizona is a series that will appear on KTAR.com and social media  — follow KTAR News on Instagram and Facebook for updates — highlighting unique and everyday people across our state and give you a glimpse into their lives.

Hello everyone, my name is Austin Lott. I am 22 years old and am an Arizona native.

I currently live in Buckeye, where I was raised. I am a working college student with aspirations of becoming a law enforcement professional after graduation.

One of the classes I am taking at the South Mountain Community College this semester is storytelling and the art of storytelling, and I enjoy it immensely. I discovered that I love talking to people, communicating with them as a source of knowledge and a source of laughter. Let’s face it, most stories are funny.

The storytelling program, The Storytelling Institute, was founded by Liz Warren in 2016. There is a large cohort of individuals that work tirelessly to make this happen. The group performs storytelling events across the Valley. I will be speaking at our next engagement; the theme is scary stories, and I am excited to do so. We have a blog, Tell Me Something Good, that has additional information as well as stories for people to read.

Being involved with this program, and with this group, has been an eye-opening and enriching experience for me. I am grateful for the people within the group that I can draw from, as well as the people who continue to their efforts in guiding the individuals registered in the program.