Anna Kate Sundvold starts her second season as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader this month, balancing the high-profile role that has been featured in a Netflix documentary on the globally recognized dance program and her full-time career as a financial planner.
August 26, 2024
By Amber Billops
Dance has always been part of Anna Kate Sundvold’s life. It has shaped her story through perseverance, passion, and poise. Sundvold ’23 discovered her love for dance at three years old in Columbia, Missouri, and quickly immersed herself in the world of competitive dance by age eight, eventually joining the TCU Showgirls dance team in college.
The creativity and athletic ability in dance are just part of Sundvold’s narrative. She extends the same motivation for high achievement into academics and business. Sundvold was her high school valedictorian and earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from TCU in May 2023, then landed a role as a financial planner at Bluecrest Financial Alliances in Dallas.
Just months after graduating college, she chose to pursue an additional goal – to become a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. In doing so, she continued a family tradition. Her sister, Caroline Sundvold, had also been a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Anna Kate Sundvold’s decision also led to a broader spotlight as the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader 2023 season was profiled in the Netflix documentary, “America’s Sweethearts.”
Reflecting on her time in the TCU Neeley School of Business, Sundvold credits the school with shaping her into a disciplined, organized, and proactive individual.
“The recognition that Neeley has as a top business school is something that I am always proud of when explaining my educational background,” Sundvold said. “The professors do not let students slack off. Completing assignments on time, showing up for class, participating in class, and being proactive with your grades and relationships are things they have high standards for. These skills have helped me tremendously with my crazy schedule.”
Successfully making the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in 2023, Sundvold recently completed her rookie season and is eagerly anticipating her second year. Balancing her role as a Cowboys cheerleader with a full-time job as a financial planner, she applies the time management and organizational skills she honed at Neeley to navigate her demanding schedule.
“I had a very rigorous coursework load with the Neeley School of Business,” Sundvold said. “The time management skills I learned while in college, I am using now. I come to my 8-to-5, day job every day, and I put my 100 percent effort into this job. Once I get off at 5, and I go to practice from 7 to 10 p.m., I put all my focus on practice. So, separating my two jobs completely and not letting them mix together is something I have learned to be beneficial in making sure I do the best at what I am doing.”
Sundvold said she was initially hesitant to be filmed, but said she has since embraced the opportunities and challenges that come with the spotlight.
“It is extremely hard to open up about how you feel on camera, especially knowing that the whole world has access to watch you and judge your every move,” Sundvold said. “I would say that with both pros and cons coming about the show, I have learned to not let either the positives get me too high or the negatives get me too low. Staying neutral in your feelings and remembering all that you have accomplished to get to where you are is the most important thing at the end of the day.”
Fellow Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and friend, Kaydianna Davis Garza ’21, who was also a TCU Showgirl and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in news and media studies, speaks highly of Anna Kate’s growth and leadership.
“I think Anna Kate and my relationship is so special just because God placed us together in our lives very early on and she was my rookie when I was a junior,” Davis Garza said. “She's always been such a hard worker, always giving her 110%. She's also a natural-born leader. It's pretty awesome to see her just grow into the dancer and the person that she is today.”
Sundvold’s advice to women following in her footsteps is simple and direct: be yourself.
“If you are striving to go for anything, it is important to just be you, no matter how people may respond. If you aren’t yourself, and you get the position, the role, or whatever it may be, you will not feel comfortable with what you are doing,” she said.
As she looks forward to her second season with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and continues her career as a financial planner, Sundvold remains grateful for her journey and the lessons learned along the way.
In addition to Sundvold and Davis, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have embraced multiple TCU alumni on the team. Former TCU Showgirls who have made Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader teams include, Kelsey Bond ’11, Jordan Daigle (Coleman) ’12, Emma Dutton (Beavers) ’11, and Christina Ostovich ’21, all of whom have since retired from the squad. Currently, Kaydianna Davis Garza ’21, Anna Kate Sundvold ’23, and Trinity Miles ’24 represent TCU as members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader team, showcasing their remarkable skills and dedication both on the field and beyond.
