TULSA, Okla. — Donterrio Marzett had many career interests as a child; with his interest in music, lawyers, and doctors, he could have grown up to be the next Quincy Jones, Damario Solomon-Simmons, Esq., or world-renowned doctor to advance medicine — before discovering his true calling: education.
In middle school, he wanted to be the first Black president of the United States. “Barack beat me to that, so it changed direction,” he said.
His desire to become the first Black president led him to become a criminal justice major during his first year at Langston University. Despite majoring in criminal justice, he never had a deep passion for becoming a lawyer. He just knew he wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.
“I always knew that I wanted to make a change or do something to impact the community, families, and students, or whatever,” he told The Black Wall Street Times.
A light bulb came in high school when he was a youth camp counselor in a Fellowship of Christan Athletes (FCA) summer program. Working as a camp counselor during that time enshrined his long-term desire to work with them.
“Hit ‘Em with the Flight of the Bumblebee”
Music had always been in Marzett’s DNA. A former Booker T. Washington High School’s T-Connection Band member, he found himself drawn back to music in college. In his second semester, he made the bold leap—switching from criminal justice to music education, setting the stage for a career that would blend passion and leadership.
During his time at Langston, Marzett took on leadership roles in various organizations on campus. In the fall of 2005, he joined the Beta Kappa chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, where he served as president of the chapter for two years. In his senior year, he became a drum major before being promoted to head drum major; he was a member of the Student Government Association.
Marching to a New Beat: The Leadership Path to Superintendent
Marzett completed his student teaching in his senior year. In August 2009, he became a full-time music teacher at Kipp Tulsa College Preparatory and started a community band. His years of hard work and dedication allowed him to go through the leadership ranks seamlessly.
“I was a teacher for five years at KIPP, and then I became the assistant principal for three years at KIPP, and then I became the principal of the KIPP Middle School for three years,” Marzett told The Black Wall Street Times.
He relocated to high school during the pandemic to finish founding Kipp Tulsa University Prep High School (KTUP). The high school had only been operating for two years. He then served as the school leader for three years before being promoted to interim Executive Director (Superintendent) and now full-time Superintendent.
“Seventeen Years Strong: A Legacy of Grit, Growth, and Guiding the Next Generation”
Throughout his journey, Marzett has persevered through many challenges, but through faith and grit, he has made it through those challenges to inspire the students he serves.
“One lesson I learned that we always teach students is grit. You got to have grit to persevere through all the challenges that you may encounter,” Marzett said.
In 17 years as an educator and community band director, he has served over 5,000 students who have received scholarships to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and top universities. He also has students who are now teaching at KTUP.
He continued, “I’ve always been passionate about helping, supporting, and motivating the next generation of leaders, which means always wanting to pour into the youth, specifically the youth in our community.”
For more information about Kipp Tulsa College Preparatory or Kipp Tulsa University Prep or to enroll your student, please visit https://kippok.org/enroll-tulsa/