(CEDAR HILL, TEXAS) From captaining an NCAA Division I Volleyball Team to graduating at the top of her class in the police academy, Kiya Garza understands the importance of teamwork.
“What I learned in Cedar Hill ISD has helped me,” said Garza, a 2016 Cedar Hill High School Graduate. “Being part of extracurriculars impacted who I am today. I learned to engage and communicate with other people.”
A graduate of the Dallas College Law Enforcement Academy; she’s now a rookie police officer with the University of Texas System Police, assigned to UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
“My goal is to impact people’s lives in a positive way,” Garza said. “I want to bring about positive change and influence through community policing.”
Garza was a lifelong Longhorn, starting at Plummer Elementary, Joe Wilson Intermediate and Permenter Middle, before enrolling at CHHS in the summer of 2012.
She made the varsity volleyball team as a freshman and led Cedar Hill to the playoffs as a junior, playing libero/defensive specialist.
She stepped away from volleyball briefly to attend Navarro College in Corsicana but never gave up the dream.
Through a former teammate, she learned about the opportunity to play at Mississippi Valley State University, a Historically Black College & University (HBCU) in Itta Bena, Mississippi. The university is located 460 miles east of Dallas and its athletic program is best known as the alma mater of NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
When Garza arrived at MVSU, she hardly knew anyone, but the team structure allowed her to make connections quickly.
“Having my teammates by my side helped me push through, despite not having any family in Mississippi,” Garza said. “We were an underdog team that gained some good experience.”
Her family and friends had the opportunity to watch her play when the Delta Devils visited Texas universities in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) such as Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern.
Garza originally wanted to pursue Sports Broadcasting, but the major was not available.
“I asked ‘What else could I see myself doing?’, so I took a Criminal Investigations class, which caught my attention,” said Garza, who earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice at MVSU in 2020.
She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice, also from MVSU.
After college, Garza became a dispatcher with the UT Southwestern Police Department. She said it’s proved to be a valuable experience as she’s transitioned to the police officer side of the radio.
“It gave me insight so that I already know what to look for,” said Garza, who’s long term goal is to become a detective.
