Jennifer Perkins is a new assistant principal at CG, but she’s not new to administration.

Before coming to Center Grove she worked at Mooresville High School for twelve years. “I always said the only place I would ever leave Mooresville for was Center Grove,” Perkins said.

She said she used to come to some of Center Grove’s National Honors Society meetings. She loved how the students interacted with each other and how the students interacted with teachers.

“The kids here are probably some of the most polite, respectful kids that I’ve come in contact [with] in a long time,” Perkins said.

That’s saying something. Before working at Mooresville High School, Perkins worked at a middle school at Washington Court, Ohio, a small town between Columbus and Cincinnati. After working at Washington Court, she taught for a year along the border of Texas and Mexico.

Other than working with students, Perkins also is looking forward to being a fan of CG sports.

“I love football,” Perkins said. “My dad was a wrestling coach so I love wrestling, [and] I am super excited for swim season.”

Perkins’s sons are swimmers, and they competed against Center Grove at sectionals last year. Perkins said she loved watching the CG team spirit as the girls supported the boys sectional.

Perkins will be attending many games, but she also has a variety of responsibilities as assistant principal. She is in responsible for CTE (College and Career Technical Education), C-9, all testing, ENL and the FACs, business and world languages departments.

That variety was another aspect of CG that appealed to Perkins.  “I like the opportunities that are given to students here,” Perkins said. “There’s a place for everyone to fit in. If you look for it, there is a place for you to belong and be successful here.”

On a personal note, Perkins is married with a husband in the Air Force; he is an A-10 pilot who flies for American Airlines. She has three sons; her oldest is a freshman at Purdue, and she has a sophomore and an 8th grader who both go to Mooresville.

One of the activities Perkins enjoys outside of school is yoga.

“I like to go there [yoga studio] when the world gets a little too stressful, and I need to work out and tune it all out,” Perkins said.

Finding that balance between home and school may present new challenges at CG, but with the experiences Perkins brings, it won’t take long for her to making a difference here.