David Mazzeo
“From Seattle Emcee to The Halls of O'Dea High School”
Work, Unscripted - Season 1, Episode 3
What happens when the guy hyping up 70,000 fans at Husky Stadium is the same guy quietly mentoring high school boys in downtown Seattle? That's Dave Mazzeo and his story is one you won't forget. Dave is the Alumni Director at O'Dea High School and one of Seattle's most sought-after independent MCs. In this episode, we get into what it really takes to balance two careers that couldn't look more different on paper, why showing up for people IS the job, and what 25 years at one institution can teach you about loyalty, leadership, and legacy. We also talk about his friendship with Nate Burleson, performing at Capitol Hill Block Party, MCing for 70,000 fans as the on-field host for Husky Football, and why the most impactful careers aren't always the loudest ones.
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“Two Mics, One Mission”
There’s a moment about halfway through my conversation with Dave where he describes the thing he loves most about his job.
Not the big fundraising events. Not the Husky Stadium crowds. Not the moment when a song lands exactly right with a room full of people.
Dave is the Alumni Director at O’Dea High School in Seattle, and one of the city’s more quietly indispensable people. He’s also a working MC, a rapper who came up in the Seattle hip hop scene in the early 2000s, and a man who has figured out something most people spend their whole careers chasing: how to do two things you love and let them make each other better.
About the guest
David Mazzeo is many things depending on who you ask.
To O'Dea High School alumni, he's the guy who never let the Brotherhood fade. To the students coming up behind them, he's the one organizing Career Day, sitting in on admissions conversations, and making sure the school feels like somewhere worth belonging. To the crowds at auctions, football games, and music festivals, he's the voice that sets the tone before anyone else walks in the room.
For over 21 years, David has served as Alumni Director at O'Dea High School in Seattle. But that title undersells what he actually does. He coaches linebackers on the freshman football team and carries a 2009 state championship ring from his time with the baseball program. He directs the annual O'Dea Golf Tournament. He helped create and co-chair the school's first ever Diversity and Equity Committee. He runs Career Day, a program he expanded from seniors-only into something that now reaches the entire student body. He works with admissions, with donors, with parents, with graduates who haven't been back in decades and somehow end up back in the building because David made them feel like they still had a place there.
Outside of O'Dea, he has spent over 20 years as a professional emcee across weddings, auctions, sporting events, and major stages throughout Washington State. He served four years as the on-field emcee for University of Washington Husky Football. He has performed at Bumbershoot and Capitol Hill Block Party. He has collaborated with Emmy Award winner Nate Burleson and Grammy Award winner Macklemore. He has written, recorded, and released his own music.
A proud 1999 graduate of O'Dea himself, David didn't just stay connected to the school. He made staying connected his life's work.
The Brotherhood doesn't maintain itself. David is a big part of why it doesn't have to.