Pacifica Stories

Senior Jack Pomeroy has always been drawn to challenges that can't be faked or shortcut, and this summer, that instinct took him to the roof of Africa.

Jack got into hiking a few years ago, just wandering trails near home, and it grew into something much bigger. This past summer, he tackled Mount Kilimanjaro via the Northern Circuit, an eight-day route chosen specifically because its longer acclimatization window gives climbers a better shot at actually reaching the summit. "It was brutal," he said. By day five, the altitude was wearing him down, and summit night pushed him further than he expected; starting at midnight in negative 15-degree cold, with hours of climbing ahead before sunrise. He kept moving. Standing at Uhuru Peak made every step worth it.

"What I love about mountaineering is you can't fake it or shortcut it, you just have to push through," Jack said. "That's why I keep coming back to it."

That same persistence shows up in how Jack talks about his time at Pacifica. He chose the school looking for "a better opportunity to pursue my learning," and three years in, it's the people who've made the biggest impression—especially the counselors and teachers he calls "very fun to talk to." His favorite class so far has been AP Computer Science Principles, where faculty member Mr. Eno introduced him to new ways of building useful tools with AI. That hands-on mentorship has shaped how Jack thinks about his own potential.

Some of his favorite Pacifica memories come from conversations that have nothing to do with computer science at all. Jack counts his philosophy debates with Mr. Roberson among the best parts of his time here, sparring over morals and ideas with someone whose point of voice contrasts to his own. "It's very fun and interesting to debate about stuff with someone who has very different beliefs than you," he said. "Philosophy debates are always my favorite part of class."

Looking back on his time at Pacifica, Jack says the biggest shift has been in how he sees himself. "I learned that I was much smarter than I think I was," he said. "I've grown a lot with efficiency and getting stuff done." As he looks ahead to life after high school, that same drive is already pointed toward what's next: starting a business and finding out what he's really capable of.