Austin Highsmith Garces was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. She is a classically trained Fine Artist with a BA in Art from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Garces is an actress and producer, known for Dolphin Tale (2011), Scream: The TV Series (2015) and Criminal Minds (2005). She has been married to J. Teddy Garces since May 29, 2016.