Rachel Jones wears two professional hats — she’s the Assistant Principal at Meigs Middle School and an owner of CrossFit Destin. Her days start before sunrise, making lunches and backpacks for her two daughters before heading to campus by 6:30am.

Once the school doors open, she’s in full motion, from car line duty and classroom walk-throughs to meetings with parents and teachers.

• When the final bell rings, Rachel heads to her CrossFit gym to sweat it out before diving back into family activities. And if she can squeeze it in? You’ll find her nose in a book. She read 86 last year and keeps reviews on her Instagram account (@rach.reads.and.reviews).

We caught up with Rachel to learn about her morning routine, her favorite local traditions, and why she thinks education is all about remembering one thing: it’s always about the kids.

What’s your current job title and where do you work?

Assistant Principal-Meigs Middle School, owner at CrossFit Destin

What’s your morning routine?

School starts early so I wake up, and get ready about 5:15. I make my 2 daughters’ lunches/snacks & pack their backpacks, as well as their bags for any after school activities that they have that day. I have my first cup of coffee and then leave my house by 6:15 to drive to work.

Describe what a typical workday looks like for you.

I check emails first thing in the morning when I arrive around 6:30/6:35. At 6:50, the gates open for students to enter campus and I head to the car line to help unload.

Throughout the day, I’m in and out of classrooms to support teachers and students in their learning environment. I might have meetings with parents, faculty, or students throughout the day but I am in the cafeteria for lunch duty from 10:20am-11:45am.

School ends at 1:40pm and I am on the car ramp for dismissal. All students are usually off campus by 2pm. Some days there are faculty meetings after school, some days there are department meetings, and some days there are parent meetings. I’m usually on campus until around 3:30pm unless there is a game or school event that night and I have duty.

From there, I go to my gym’s 4pm class (CrossFit Destin) to workout. That lasts until 5pm and then I pick my kids up from after school care at Destin Methodist Church and take them to any evening activities they have! Dinner around 6:30pm and then the whole bed time routine 🙂

What’s the first thing you do when you get to work (or start your workday)?

I usually check in with the other admin to see if there are any pressing matters and then I do a quick check of my email before heading out to the car line.

What tools, apps, or gadgets can’t you live without?

My walkie talkie! While at work, it’s an important line of communication. Email is an important resource for parents/teachers to reach me throughout the day and then I would say my iPad because that’s what I carry around for classroom walk-throughs and teacher observations.

Apple or Android?

Apple

What’s your go-to coffee (or tea) order?

Starbucks – Venti Hot white mocha with skim milk, no whip cream, and only one pump of syrup

What’s your go-to lunch spot or work snack?

I try to meal prep and pack my lunch & snacks so I’m not eating junk. I usually have boiled eggs with some siracha and Everything but the Bagel seasoning in the morning and then some sort of chicken or beef bowl with rice and veggies for lunch. If I’m eating lunch out at work, I usually order Chipotle, Chick-Fil-A, or Pounders now that there’s one in FWB!

What’s one local business you love supporting?

Any of them! Being from here, there are a ton of my friends who own their own businesses now. I truly try to shop/eat there first if I’m able. I think the ones that probably get the most of my money each month are Bitterroot, Boshamps, and Harbor Docks!

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

Go after exactly what you want and don’t settle for what’s offered.

If you could give your 20-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Figure out all you can about taxes, investments, retirement accounts, etc. Luckily, I married an amazing guy who is fantastic at all of these things but they’re something I knew very little about as a young adult. It’s wild that I have a Master’s degree and there was never a required course to teach me about how to be an adult!

How do you unwind after a long day?

Definitely a CrossFit class! My gym’s 4pm class is a group of regulars so we have an awesome time pushing each other and finishing our day strong. I also love to read-mostly fiction-so you can find me with my nose in a book any time I have a spare minute!

I’m usually reading 3 at a time and my goal is to read more books than I read last year (which was 86!) I have an Instagram account (@rach.reads.and.reviews) where I keep track of all that I’m reading so I can review them and recommend books when people ask for something specific.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?

That I’m super claustrophobic…except it’s a weird kind. I don’t really mind small rooms, I get super claustrophobic if parts of my body are constricted! If I’m in a crowd of people and can’t lift my arms-panic. If I’m on an airplane and a bag gets on top of my feet-freak out. If my sock is in between my toes in my shoe and I can’t spread my toes out-I’m yanking that shoe off to fix it, regardless of where I am!

What’s your favorite local event or tradition?

I love how much of a “small town” we are in Destin, even though it’s such a big vacation destination. Going out on a boat and pulling up to one of the beaches is an awesome summertime event.

I also love the Destin Little League Opening Day parade. All of the teams, from tee-ball to Kid Pitch, line up at Destin Elementary and are led to Dalton Threadgill Park by the local Fire Department. The kids love getting out there and people come out to the street to cheer them on. It’s one of the coolest things our little town does, in my opinion!

Early bird or night owl?

I used to be a crazy night owl but in my old age (lol) I’ve turned into more of an early bird. I like to wake up before my house to read a little bit and have quiet coffee on the couch.

Most used emoji?

The Laughing/Crying emoji. 😂 I think it indicates the chaos of my every day life where at any moment, I can be hysterically laughing or hysterically crying (see, right here is where I would put that emoji!)

Music while working — yes or no? (and if yes, what’s on your playlist?)

My favorite playlist includes Chris Stapleton, Turnpike Troubadours, and Zach Bryan. I also love the Kings of Leon playlist on Spotify.

Favorite motivational quote?

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”-Ralph Waldo Emerson. I used this quote in the yearbook for the FWBHS Hall of Fame my senior year and it’s been in my email signature ever since.

Standing desk or sitting? Mix?

I sit while at my desk but I’m not in my office very much! I usually wear cute sneakers to school because I’m running around all over the place.

If you could give any advice for someone getting into the same field as you, what advice would you give?

It’s always about the kids and if you can remember that, you’ll be amazing. There are a lot of frustrating things about a job in education, as I’m sure there are in any profession, but the kids are RARELY the point of contention. If you get into education for the right reasons-passionate about education or a subject area and a love for sharing that with kids-you’ll do great!