When Dr. Quinita Morrow first stepped into a classroom, she never imagined education would become her life's calling. "I originally said I was only going to teach for one year," she said with a laugh. Nineteen years later, the marketing instructor and assistant testing coordinator at Alcovy High School has been named the 2025–26 Newton County School System "Teacher of the Year"—an honor she describes as both humbling and unexpected.
"Teachers don't really do this work for recognition," Morrow said, "so when your colleagues nominate you and support you, it means a lot."
"I want every student to leave my classroom knowing they are capable of more than they think." — Dr. Quinita Morrow
Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, Morrow earned an athletic scholarship to Albany State University, where she completed degrees in business before entering the corporate world. She then worked at Wells Fargo Financial in Stockbridge. However, even as she built a business career, something kept pulling her toward education. The seed for teaching had been planted years earlier by one of Morrow's own mentors. She credits her former high school business teacher, Audrey Marshall, with inspiring her to pursue education.
"She made learning come alive," Morrow said, "and I always remembered that."
Eventually, an opportunity to teach marketing education opened in Newton County. What was supposed to be a temporary position quickly became permanent, marking the beginning of her journey in the classroom. "I immediately fell in love with the students," she said, "and that's what has kept me here." While teaching, Morrow earned a doctorate in business administration from Walden University in 2019. She chose not to pursue an advanced degree in education. "I wanted the business content and also to stay connected to what students would actually experience in the real world," she said. That devotion to real-world relevance shapes nearly everything Morrow does in the classroom.
When someone walks into Morrow's marketing class, it quickly becomes clear that it is not a traditional lecture-based environment, because her teaching style centers heavily on conversation, hands-on learning and real-life application. Students are not simply memorizing vocabulary terms or taking notes from slides; they are building businesses, creating marketing campaigns and solving actual problems.
One of the hallmarks of her program: a massive guest speaker series that brings professionals directly into the classroom. Morrow welcomes approximately 180–190 speakers representing a wide variety of industries and professions. "They reinforce what we're teaching," she said. "Students get to hear directly from people actually doing the work." These connections help students see how classroom concepts apply beyond the school walls while also exposing them to careers they may never have considered. Morrow's entrepreneurship students also participate in project-based learning experiences that culminate in pop-up shops where students launch and operate their own businesses. From product creation to branding to sales strategy, students handle every aspect themselves and keep the profits they earn.
"It becomes real for them," Morrow said. "There's ownership even from parents who often become involved, as well, helping students prepare products, set up displays or support the business concepts their children develop. It's one thing to talk about entrepreneurship. It's another thing to actually do it."
In addition to entrepreneurship, her classes routinely incorporate current events and pop culture into marketing lessons. Whether discussing brand management, rebranding controversies or social media trends, Morrow uses topics students already care about to deepen engagement. She described her teaching style as highly conversational rather than rigidly scripted.
"I want students to think," she said. "I want them to connect what's happening in the world to what we're learning."
Beyond the classroom, Morrow creates memorable experiences through business and marketing opportunities that extend far outside the school's walls. For example, students in her program have attended movie premieres, walked red carpets and participated in professional networking opportunities that many high schoolers never experience. Those moments matter for Morrow because they expand students' vision for what is possible. "You never know what's going to spark something in a student," she said. While Morrow comes across as clearly passionate about business and marketing education, she credits the students themselves for continuing to energize her after nearly two decades in the profession. She laughs about how often her students teach her about technology, social media and hidden apps. "They keep me young," she said. That willingness to keep learning from students contributes to her effectiveness.
Morrow readily acknowledges that education is not always an easy profession but believes fulfillment matters more than chasing titles or income alone. When asked what advice she would give to current and aspiring teachers, she emphasized authenticity and purpose over financial motivation.
“Trust your instincts," Morrow said, "and follow what you're passionate about.”
