After being told to be at the northside doors by 7:15 a.m., Coppell High School security attendant Liza Petrova took it upon herself to arrive at 6:45 a.m. every morning.
“[Former associate principal Zane Porter] was my mentor who told me that by 7:15 a.m., I have to be at the doors to unlock them,” Petrova said. “When I first started coming at 7:15 a.m., I noticed that there were students every morning that were waiting. I did not want to be the one they waited for, so I started coming earlier and earlier.”
Considerable actions such as these are what set Petrova apart from anyone else that could have filled her role.
Petrova is one of three CHS parking and security attendants, working alongside Lee Dial and Anthony Saldana. She joined the security team in March 2023 after previously working at both Coppell Middle Schools East and West as a cafeteria worker.
“I have told her time and time again, ‘You, and my other partner [Dial], are godsends,” Saldana said. “Prior to them coming in, I was basically by myself for a good year and a couple months. That’s when we got her hired in March, so it was a big relief for me.”
Before becoming a CHS security attendant, Petrova had never held a security position. After immigrating to the United States from Bulgaria in 2003, she worked at DFW International Airport as a sales associate and a supervisor for eight years.
She obtained her cafeteria position in 2013 and in the summer of 2023, Petrova sought a job at CHS. When a security attendant position became available, she was personally recommended for the job by former student resource officer Tonard Warmsley.
”The generosity and genuine approach that she has in regards to how she treats people is something that I have always admired,” Warmsley said. “When the opportunity came about for her to have that particular position at CHS, I personally could not think of a better person who not only had the personal skills but the work ethic that supported the way she treated people.”
Petrova’s daily tasks consist of overseeing the northside doors, checking that all of the school’s doors are locked and replying to emails about parking issues. Because her role differs from a traditional classroom position, parents and students often have a limited understanding of what or how much she does for the school.
“Sometimes, I still get people who are surprised that are like ‘Oh, you’re here, are you here all day? Is this your office?” Petrova said. “When students go to the office and they call us, they are surprised that we are the ones that actually resolve parking needs. We are here to help with anything related to security, even if it is not in our job duties.”
Aside from joining Coppell ISD as a staff member, Petrova is involved in the community as a mother of four children who have or are currently going to a CISD school. New Tech High @ Coppell graduates Julia Petrova Milo and Silvia V. Petrova, New Tech senior George Petrov and CHS sophomore Teo Petrov are all sources of inspiration for Petrova.
The most evident aspect of Petrova’s personality is her genuine care for the people she interacts with. Although she sees most students only on a come-and-go basis, she tries to form connections with them through her greetings.
Petrova provides not only security in the bounds of her job, but also by creating a safe space where students know they will be noticed whenever they enter and leave the school.
“She cares beyond what the job description requires,” Warmsley said. “Her security of the entrance is beyond those doors. Her security goes in depth to every single student that comes throughout the hallways.”
This story was originally published on Coppell Student Media on March 13, 2025.
