Principal's Corner

principal headshot


(October 31, 2023) Donnie Mullins, principal at Ooltewah High School shares his pride for his alma mater, and his goal to instill hope in not just his students, but everyone who moves through his building.

October is National Principals Month, and HCS thanks the dedicated and supportive principals of our schools. This month we will be highlighting a few stand-out individuals who put their students and school first every day. Donnie Mullins is one of these stand-out principals, going further every day for his students.

As you walk through Ooltewah High School’s door, you are first greeted by their secretary, Angie Shumaker, not just a dedicated member of staff but a graduate of Ooltewah High School herself. She stated, “Ooltewah High School is my home away from home. I have a lot of pride and love for this school and community. Seeing Mr. Mullins work with our students and community is inspiring. He wants the best for our school and you can tell his work comes from the heart.”

Although he’s only been Ooltewah’s principal for a short time, he takes pride in the opportunity to lead the staff. His goal is to help educators make a change in kids' lives, to help adults grow who can then ensure students succeed. He encourages his staff to provide a well-rounded education to students, helping them develop not only academically but also socially and emotionally.

Mullins, who graduated from Ooltewah High School himself in 1995, takes pride in not just the school, but the community as a whole. “I’ve Been here long enough to build relationships with a lot of good people and families. That lends itself towards success as a school.”

Mullins' career in education started in 2002 after graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. However, it is his position as principal of Ooltewah High School that he takes the most pride in. Having held many positions in Hamilton County including teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, and now principal of Ooltewah, he has seen the growth of the school and community as a whole. He believes that building relationships with the people and families in the community is crucial, and that it is this diversity that makes the school special.

He states, “Just the opportunity to lead Ooltewah High School is phenomenal. This is such a great place with great people, I think what makes it special is that we are so diverse as a population and we are able to serve so many people. That makes it special to me, we don’t just serve one person, we have an opportunity to touch many lives from different backgrounds and alter the trajectory of where kids need to go.”

HCS thanks Donnie Mullins for his tremendous work as an educator. HCS is thrilled to see where he takes his school over the next year.

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