Walking up the main entrance, Principal Raven Jones enters the school building with high energy, wearing a bright smile that encourages warmth and honesty. As students pass through the metal detectors, Jones pays attention to their facial expressions and body language to gain insight into their emotions. If she sees someone frowning, she shows interest in what they are experiencing in order to support them in any way she can.

As the new principal at Mclean High school, Jones intends for the all to learn about her and the kind of person she is. She grew up in Greenville, South Carolina in a conservative community. In middle school, she was bullied for her ruffled outfits and her thin appearance. Jones used this teasing as motivation for improving the education department. In high school, she felt more welcome and began to explore new interests.

“I started making friends and I found a community,” Jones said. “I found people in high school who thought the way I thought.”

The lifelong skills Jones picked up from her teachers allowed her to become the person she is today.

“[One of my teachers] taught me to advocate for myself,” Jones said. “She taught me to speak when I didn’t like things.”

Throughout her childhood, Jones was mocked for her 5-foot-3-inch stature by even her family. Her father and brother were in the Army and Navy, respectively, making her the target of relentless teasing about being too short or too weak for the military.

“‘You wouldn’t last a day in basic training,’ my brother told me,” Jones said. “I remember everyone telling me I couldn’t do it, so I decided ‘yes, I am.’”

Jones went on to join the Army, and during her eight year service, she was deployed in various locations around the world. Jones met her husband at a wedding, discovering that they were both stationed at the same operating center in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

“Family is incredibly important to me,” Jones said. “I don’t do anything that my family can’t be a part of. I wouldn’t have taken this job [at McLean] if I felt it was a place [where] my family couldn’t fit in.”

Jones’ career began when she minored in education at the University of South Carolina. She has held educational jobs across several states, serving as a school counselor, human services specialist, school administrator and director of student services.

Most recently, Jones won the 2024 FCPS Outstanding New Principal award as Luther Jackson Middle School’s principal.

“[Jones] has been working with some of the same administrators from Luther Jackson,” administrative assistant Mark Slacin said. “So, when [she] goes to their conferences, she’s more familiar with the other schools in our area and I think that’s an advantage for her.”

Jones enjoys working with high school students because of their maturity level.

“I missed being able to have rational conversations with kids about things that might be difficult for them to talk about,” Jones said. “Teachers and [faculty members] can see other people’s perspectives and have [more serious] conversations with teenagers.”

One of the biggest reasons that Jones decided to apply for the principal position was McLean’s community and school spirit.

“[Jones] is making an effort to go to as many school events as possible,” senior Elisabeth Beach said. “She is impressed with [McLean’s] school spirit and how hard working the student body is.”

Jones plans on working with students, staff and families to make decisions that positively impact the school.

“In a school like McLean where the basics [of education] are already met, we get to do innovative things in classes. We get to go outside the box because we have [some] wiggle room,” Jones said. “I knew I wanted to come somewhere where I could be creative, grow and learn new things.”

Jones is passionate about making McLean the number one school in Virginia, aiming to advance from its rank as eighth in the state. She also hopes to become a trustworthy adult for all students.

“As a new principal, I want kids to know that if they’re having a problem, [they can] come meet me and I’ll help,” Jones said. “I’m not the person who puts up gates. Our goal is not to teach you what to think, but rather how to think.”