This year, Atascadero High School (AHS) had not two but three students with the highest grade point average (GPA) in the graduating class of 2024. 

Margaret Uceda landed Valedictorian with a GPA of 4.5, while good friends Isabella Pencharich and Mia McKrell managed to tie for Salutatorian with matching GPAs of 4.48.

We sat down with all three ladies to chat about what it was like to find out they had top honors, where they’re headednext, and what they’ll miss about AHS.

Maggie Uceda

Valedictorian of 2024

GPA: 4.5

Atascadero News Magazine: What does it feel like to be AHS’s 2024 Valedictorian?

Maggie Uceda: I was surprised, honored, and I felt like my hard work paid off.

ANM: When did you realize you were in the running for top student of the year?

MU: I realized that I was in the top three my junior year after a friend of mine told me, and I was surprised but didn’t think much of it after that.

ANM: Was getting Valedictorian always one of your high school goals?

MU: No, it was not one of my high school goals. Through my four years of high school, I have always worked hard and focused on doing the best I can do.

ANM: What was one of your favorite things about your high school experience?

MU: One of my favorite things about high school has been the friends and fun things we did together. I was on the swim team and loved being a part of it because of the support and family created through the sport. Another favorite part of high school for me was joining National Honors Society and California Scholarship Federation because I met friends who were academically oriented and college-focused like I was and got to meet people I would not have met in other classes. I also loved doing yearbook because I loved the creativity involved in producing a yearbook.

ANM: Where are you headed after graduation?

MU: After graduation, I will be attending UCLA and joining the club swim team.

ANM: What will you be studying there?

MU: At UCLA, I will be studying world arts and cultures with a minor in film. I want to pursue a career in documentary filmmaking, because I want to research some of the world’s most pressing challenges and show them through my work, impact those who don’t feel represented, and inspire others to tell their own stories.

ANM: What will you miss most about high school?

MU: I will miss the community and support of Atascadero High School. I will miss the morning art sessions in Ms. Steyer’s art class, the pep rallies, and the school spirit AHS has, and the friends I have made along the way. I will reallymiss the way that the Atascadero community truly supports the students like no other school I know.”

Mia Mckrell

Salutatorian

GPA: 4.48

ANM: What does it feel like to be salutatorian and share the role with your best friend? 

Mia McKrell: Being awarded salutatorian was an amazing feeling, especially since I got to share the title with my best friend, Bella. 

ANM: When did it hit you that you had the possibility of being one of AHS’s top students of 2024?

MM: I have known that I was a candidate for Salutatorian since my sophomore year when class ranks became available through Aeries. Ever since then, I have made it a goal of mine to get straight A’s. 

ANM: What was one of your favorite things about your time at AHS?

MM: One of my favorite things about high school is the culture associated with having a class size of less than 300 people. Everyone knows each other and has mutual friends. This is significantly smaller than the number of people at my college, which has an undergraduate population of 32,000 students.

ANM: Where are you headed next?

MM: After graduation, I will attend UC Berkeley.

ANM: What will you be studying there?

MM: I will be studying chemical engineering in the Fall. Science and mathematics were my favorite subjects throughout middle and high school, and I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career in STEM. I chose chemical engineering specifically because it aligns with my long-term career goal to work in sustainable energy.  While participating in Model UN throughout high school, I immersed myself in international issues, such as the energy crisis resulting from fossil fuel dependence. After learning about the economic and environmental effects of non-renewable energy, I decided that I could make a positive difference in the world while still studying subjects that I enjoy.

ANM: What will you miss most about your time at AHS?

MM: The part of high school that I will miss most is spending time with my friends.

Isabella Pecharich

Salutatorian

GPA: 4.48

ANM: Not only did you earn salutatorian this year, but you’re sharing the role with your best friend. What does that feel like?

Isabella Pecharich: I’m grateful to have been recognized for the efforts I have made throughout the past couple of years of high school. It was very exciting to hear the news. I feel proud of my accomplishments and it gave me great joy to be salutatorian with my friend, Mia McKrell.

ANM: When did you realize you were in the running to be one of the top three students of the year?

IP: Throughout high school, I have known that I was ranked within the top three. A couple days before graduation, the Atascadero High School principal, Ms. Baca, called me into her office. She informed me that I would be the Salutatorian for the class of 2024.

ANM: Was getting top honors always one of your high school goals?

IP: My goal throughout high school was to learn and apply myself through taking difficult classes. I think these values and becoming salutatorian go hand-in-hand.  

ANM: What was one of your favorite things about your high school career?

IP: One of my favorite things about high school was seeing my friends every day and getting to see my teachers from past years on campus. I also liked playing team sports.

ANM: Where are you headed next?

IP: I will be going to Cal Poly, SLO. I will [also] be graduating from Cuesta College this summer with an AA in behavioral and social science.

ANM: What will you be studying at Cal Poly?

IP: I will be studying public health with plans to double major in kinesiology. I have chosen these majors as part of my path to medical school.

ANM: What will you miss most about your days in high school?

IP: I will miss all of the great friendships that I’ve had over my high school years. I’d also like to say a big thank you tomy family, friends, and teachers for all their support throughout high school. 

ATASCADERO NEWS MAGAZINE 

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