Beacon of Positivity

Rachel Paul’s Importance to Students and Passion for Science

Photo by Aubrey Whitaker/Maclay Andalusian

Maclay’s Biomedical Concentration Director Rachel Paul transformed her career and turned to teaching 14 years ago. She has always had an interest in science, and pursued that passion through multiple jobs. She found her passion at a young age, and it has shaped her into the person she is today.

“My dad was diagnosed with a genetic condition when I was 8 years old, and they didn’t know much about it,” Paul said. “That really made me interested in genetics and what I could do to help.”

Prior to teaching, Paul worked for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Crime Lab, where she had multiple different jobs. These jobs varied from working the DNA database, fingerprint photography and the biology section, where she tested various bodily fluids and extracted DNA samples. Despite finding her work quite intriguing, she eventually realized it was time for a change.

“While the science is very cool and very interesting, you also see a lot of sad stuff,” Paul said. “It got to where it was hard for me to deal with cases, especially the ones that dealt with kids. I was having trouble finding that distance when I wasn’t at work. I would be at home, and I would just be thinking about all the sad cases I was working.”

Before coming to Maclay School, Paul taught at Leon County Schools and Tallahassee State College (TSC). At Maclay, she began teaching seventh grade science.

“Honestly, teaching middle school for 10 years taught me still to find the joy. The joy in life, the joy in the unexpected,” Paul said. “And that's what I loved about middle school, because every day was different.”

Recently, her position was changed from middle school to upper school, finally landing her the job in teaching the Biomedical program.

“I am loving the curriculum that I get to teach,” Paul said. “What I get to teach this year is combining the favorite part from the crime lab, which was the science, the lab skills and the lab tech, with a job and career that I love now; teaching. Being able to combine that and teach students my passion is a wonderful experience. To me, it’s fun.”

Unsurprisingly, Paul isn’t the only one having fun with her job. Each student that meets her is always positively impacted, with her bright mood and willingness to help making her constantly act as a beacon for everyone.

“She [Paul] always makes me really happy, and she always seems really happy,” freshman Ulli Burroughs said. “That really reflects on some of the students. The way she explains everything and teaches is so easy to understand.”

Sometimes, Paul will even step out of the scientific field to provide assistance to others.

“She’s [Paul] such a friendly person, and even though she doesn’t teach math, I’ve gone to her multiple times to get help for other classes,” freshman Rae Ranjbari said. “Every time I go to her, she’s really positive about helping me, and she always helps me out.”

Aside from having a meaningful relationship with her students, Paul has a wide variety of pets that she cares for between her household and classroom. She houses around 30 animals, ranging from common household pets, such as cats and dogs, to many spiders and geckos.

“It’s a choice that I make. It’s a passion, a hobby, and my animals bring me joy,” Paul said. “I think for the most part the kids like looking at them too, and I love it when the students come in and look.”

Whether she is showing off her exotic animals or helping a student master an academic topic, Paul always acts as a beacon of positivity to others. She is cared for just as much as she cares for others, and will always be important to each student she meets.