Katherine “Katie” Pochel says Mountain Valley Academy’s flexible schedule and close-knit campus have have prepared her in more ways than one for college.
“I like that MVA emulates the college environment,” said Pochel, 17, the school’s 2025 Salutatorian. “It really helped me prepare for the future.”
Pochel has already earned some college credits — she enrolled in classes at Palomar Community College at the end of her sophomore year. The classes included American Sign Language, English, history, psychology and geography.
The daughter of Elizabeth and Stephen Pochel said she was able to take the classes free as a participant in the Palomar Promise Program.
“It’s a program that helps incoming college students who are attending college for the first time and they pay your tuition for the first two years,” she said, adding that the program is based on financial need and having good grades. “I’m so thankful to have it.”
While getting a 4.22 grade point average at Mountain Valley Academy, Pochel was also earning two associate’s degrees at Palomar — one in general studies and another in universal studies, both in social and behavioral sciences.
After high school, Pochel plans to attend Palomar full-time for another year and then transfer to a local four-year university in fall 2026. She said she’s leaning toward majoring in business istration or social sciences because they offer different career options.
MVA Principal Courtney Sawada said Pochel is a “fabulous” writer, actor and tennis player. Pochel started a creative writing club at the MVA campus this year and starred in several of the school’s drama productions, Sawada said.
Additionally, Pochel played on the junior varsity tennis team at Ramona High and completed four years of Spanish, which qualifies her to receive a Biliteracy Award.
“Katie is the sweetest girl,” Sawada said. “Her contagious laugh and smile and positive approach to everything is what stands out most.”
Pochel has a $1,000 scholarship from the Ramona Chamber of Commerce and a $1,000 scholarship from the Ramona Real Estate Association to help with textbooks and other school expenses.
She started to prepare for a future job by volunteering for the Ramona Community Library’s Service Learning Program during her sophomore, junior and senior years, she said. The work involved inspecting and shelving books and helping to organize programs such as the Dungeons & Dragons Club, Teen Hangout and Feeding San Diego food distribution activities.
Being named salutatorian was a surprise, Pochel said, because she and several classmates were all close contenders. She said she planned to share her appreciation for her educational experience at Mountain Valley Academy in her graduation speech.
“It’s so special and very unique,” she said. “It’s different from a typical high school experience. That difference doesn’t mean it’s worse, I like it more. I really enjoyed the personality that comes with it.”
