10/08/2026
At 7 years old, 𝗔𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮 arrived in the United States knowing very little English. But today, this Crowley Collegiate Academy senior is preparing to graduate with both a high school diploma and associate’s degree — and looking ahead to a future in biomedical engineering.
A first-generation U.S. college student, Garcia is excited to work in a career where she can build affordable prosthetics and machinery to help those with physical disabilities.
“The little girl who arrived at 7 years old struggling with a new language has grown into a young woman who uses her voice, her time and her talents to make a difference,” her mother Lynetthe Garcia said. “𝗔𝗻𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗼. She has overcome challenges, continued to grow and found ways to give back to the community that has helped her along the way.”
Crowley ISD is proud to shine the spotlight on Ana as we continue to recognize .
“Ana is an amazing young lady who holds high goals for herself,” CCA Academic Dean Tralissa Griffin said. “She came to CCA in 10th grade from a private school, pushing herself to take the most challenging classes. Ana has a heart for people, whether volunteering or hanging out with classmates and friends. She demonstrates kindness in her interactions with all those around her.”
Margaret Schuessler, one of Ana’s teachers, said she doesn't shy away from the rigorous college-level work students experience in CCA.
“Ana brings an uncommon grit and heart to everything she does,” Schuessler said. “And our entire CCA family is so very proud of her.”
A varsity swimmer for North Crowley High School, Ana was recently named a Fort Worth Sister Cities International Youth Volunteer of the Year, participating in numerous Sister Cities events, including traveling to Japan to live with a host family, visiting a school and experiencing Japanese culture firsthand.
Her family has also hosted students from China, Eswatini and Japan. She especially enjoyed sharing Mexican traditions and food with her guests. She has served for multiple years on the Sister Cities Youth Board.
"Ana is a compassionate, charismatic, driven, and valuable asset to the community as well as the Sister Cities Organization,” wrote Jim Sangsvang, Youth and Education specialist and Courtney Upp, Youth Board advisor for the organization. “She is a model global citizen who represents her community and Fort Worth exceptionally."
Looking back on her first years in the United States, Ana remembers that to learn English, she and her mother would go to the library every Saturday to find books to read and practice words in the car.
She also worked with a tutor, and her mother immersed her in the language as much as possible through English movies and music.
Ana was so successful at learning the language that in about two years she landed in the top five of her school’s Spelling Bee.
She said her parents were so proud she was able to learn English so quickly.
“My family has really helped me a lot, and I feel like they’re an important part of my life,” she said. “We’re actually a family of four — my dad, my mom and my dog (Thanos — a Quinceañera gift). My mom really pushes me to work hard. And my dad is my role model, also my mom. I feel like both of them have set high standards for me.”
Ana’s future is looking bright, and she recognizes the sacrifices her mother made in bringing her to this country.
“She came here just to give me a better life,” Ana said.
Crowley Collegiate Academy and courses like AVID are helping Ana graduate from high school with two years of college complete, and she’s grateful for the opportunities.
“I’m really excited to see what the future has for me,” she said. “I really want to give back to my parents for what they’ve done for me. I want to let them take a break.”
She’s proud of her Hispanic heritage and remembers the stories her grandfather shared of the struggles he had.
“You should be proud of who you are,” she said. “Hispanics have accomplished a lot. People had to struggle, so you should be proud of who you are and where you come from.”
