Hill College celebrates police academy graduates at ceremony in Mansfield
Ashlee Ferguson
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 8:35 AM
Academics
Hillsboro, TX
On August 10, 2026, Hill College celebrated graduates of the Police Academy at Creekwood Church in Mansfield, Texas.
Graduates included Abby Allerheiligen, Michael Barnes, Daisy Canales, Alexander Cleary, James Faulkner, Meghan Gibson, Samantha Hebrard, Preston Jefferson, Timothy Jones, Anthony Nguyen, Joseph Penney, Ashley Reddick, Alan Russell, Harrison Steele, Jake Villarreal, and Caleb Yauger.
Dean of Health & Public Service Dr. Joshua Tarbay gave remarks; a keynote address was given by Chief Ashleigh Casey from the Southlake Police Department. The presentation of awards and closing were given by Michael Hughes, Director of the Police Academy.
The Hill College Police Academy prepares cadets to meet requirements for the Texas peace officer licensure. The program consists of 736 hours and combines classroom instruction with extensive hands-on skills training, practical exercises, and scenario-based learning based on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) basic peace officer course.
A significant emphasis is placed on application and retention rather than solely teaching material for an examination. Cadets repeatedly practice the fundamental skills needed for new officers, including communication, interviewing, report writing, traffic enforcement, arrest and control, firearms, emergency vehicle operations, patrol tactics, and decision-making. The goal is for graduates to leave the academy with a solid foundation as they enter their new career and continue to build on their skills and field training.
Over the last few years, the academy has experienced significant growth and has established partnerships with law enforcement agencies throughout the region, many of which interact regularly with students. The Burleson Higher Education Center (BHEC) has become the hub for the academy, working with a growing number of municipal, county, university, and other law enforcement agencies throughout North Texas. Cadets learn from active law enforcement agencies in the region, allowing them to learn from potential employers.
“One of the things we have worked very hard to do is make the academy as closely connected to the profession as possible. We have strong partnerships with law enforcement agencies throughout the region, and many of those agencies are directly involved in the training of our cadets. This allows cadets to learn from active law enforcement professionals and gives our agency partners an opportunity to be involved with their future officers," said Hughes.
“Graduation from the police academy represents a tremendous amount of work by these cadets. They have spent hundreds of hours not only learning the law, but developing the practical skills, judgment, communication abilities, and professionalism that will be expected of them when they enter the field. Our goal at Hill College is not simply to prepare someone to pass a licensing examination. We want to give them a strong foundation for becoming a competent, ethical, and adaptable police officer. We are extremely proud of our graduates, and we are also grateful to our partner law enforcement agencies and instructors.”
For more information on the Hill College Police Academy, please visit the Health & Public Service page under Courses & Programs at hillcollege.edu or call/email Director Mike Hughes at 254.659.7983, mwhughes@hillcollege.edu.