After four years of working as a Student Resource Officer, Corporal Kacey Wiltz is leaving at the end of this school year to work as Chief of College Police at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

For Wiltz, working at Free State was a four-year assignment; Wiltz chose to be an SRO rather than go back to patrol. Continuing her work with students was what motivated Wiltz’s decision to work at KCKCC. Wiltz mentioned how rewarding it has been to be a part of students’ growth and academic development.

“Every adult in this building is important, and you never know what single student you’re going to have an impact on,” Wiltz said. “We don’t go around thinking, ‘Well, I’m going to make sure she graduates.’ It’s kind of just a relationship that forms on its own.”

Wiltz said that leaving will not be easy, and she will miss connecting with students and watching them graduate. According to Wiltz, being able to form these connections has made her job worthwhile.

“The coolest part is I got to see a lot of the seniors come into the building as freshmen, and just watching them grow up and kind of mature is really cool,” Wiltz said.

Wiltz stated that the time she spent at Free State was extremely impactful to her. Wiltz believes that learning has been a two way street, as Free State students have taught her as much as she has taught them.

“Last year at graduation, there was a student that graduated, got her diploma … and she came straight off the stage and ran all the way back to where I was sitting and gave me a hug, and she said she couldn’t have done it without me,” Wiltz said. “You’re there for them, and she helped me, too.”

Wiltz says that the impact she has tried to leave at Free State is an understanding and respect between cops and students. Wiltz emphasizes that being a cop is just another job, and aims for students to feel comfortable communicating with law enforcement.

“I think the kids that I’ve kind of built relationships with are those who, in the past, have not really liked or respected police, so I feel like I’ve impacted them individually,” Wiltz said. “I hope then they go back to their friends and say … ‘This is the SRO’s office, she’s pretty cool.’ I’m not here to get anybody in trouble. I hope I can just show everybody here that we’re just people too.”