MOHAVE COUNTY – Mohave Community College (Mohave College beginning August 2025) provides students who are still going to high school an opportunity to jumpstart their college journey through the Early College. Kevin Ochoa, Lake Havasu Campus student, took advantage of this program and now has multiple Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) certificates. He’s also currently working on a certificate in Business, all before finishing high school.
“Graduating high school with college certificates fills me with a sense of accomplishment for the hard work I’ve put in to make it happen. It also brings relief, knowing that I’ve truly made the most out of what WAVE (Western Arizona Vocational Education) and MCC have offered me,” said Ochoa.
The Early College program allows students, from eighth-grade through high school seniors, earn college credits. The programs are tailored to give students a jumpstart on their college education by offering courses that fulfill both high school graduation requirements and count toward college degrees. Ochoa was also able to utilize WAVE/JTED funding to complete his certificates.
Ochoa decided to attend MCC because he wants to start his own HVAC business. His inspiration for wanting to pursue a career in HVAC was because his middle school teacher taught him basic engineering.
“Hearing him speak about the HVAC industry really got me hooked on wanting to learn more about the career, I decided to start at MCC to gain more knowledge about HVAC and business,” Ochoa said.
Ochoa’s a first-generation college student, meaning he’s the first in his family to attend a college or university. He said being the first in his family to attend a higher education institution gives him hope for the future.
He also said seeing his parents go through life without a college education has given him motivation to use all the resources available in order to get further in life.
Ochoa was born in Lake Havasu City and attends Lake Havasu High School and is expected to graduate in the spring. In his spare time, he enjoys playing video games, listening to music, working on cars and playing sports.
For more information about taking college classes while in high school, please contact one of the college’s Early College Coordinators. The College is currently enrolling students for the summer and fall semesters. Summer semester begins June 2 and the fall semester begins Aug. 18. Get started at Mohave.edu/admissions.
