Krystal Anderson was a woman of many talents, and a star in more ways than one.
She retired as one of the most tenured and accomplished Cheerleaders in Kansas City Chiefs history, having cheered in more than 100 games, but away from the field, Anderson's impact on the technological community was equally profound.
It's for that reason that the Chiefs Cheerleaders, in partnership with the KC STEM Alliance, attended a pair of local robotics competitions last month in celebration of Anderson, who passed away in March.
"It added a lot of excitement to the day, and I think it was also really impactful for some of the students," said Callen Zind, Communications Manager at the KC STEM Alliance. "When young people see individuals who look like themselves in these roles, it makes the biggest difference and really opens their eyes to what they can be and what they can do."
Anderson, who served on the KC STEM Alliance advisory board and championed the "Girls in Tech KC" initiative for local middle-schoolers, certainly lived her life with the importance of setting that example in mind. A dedicated professional at Oracle Health and a leader on the cheer squad for more than a decade, she still found the time to show young people that their dreams were within reach.
"It was really cool to be in that environment, to connect with all of those kids and to hear them explain what they're so passionate about," said Chiefs Cheerleader Josi. "It was really fun, and it was good to meet people who got to see the other side of Krystal that we had heard about, but hadn't necessarily seen."
The event, which tasked students from various local schools in a technology and robotics competition, was one of many that take place throughout the metro on a regular basis. The Cheerleaders in attendance participated across two different locations and assisted with the logistics of the tournament.
As the day went on, it also provided the Cheerleaders with an opportunity to demonstrate that two seemingly unrelated fields – dance and technology – can co-exist, and it's entirely possible to pursue both passions.
"It was awesome to share our day-to-day experiences and careers with them and to show that you can follow multiple dreams, just like Krystal did," said Chiefs Cheerleader Ari. "You can be all of the things you think you are and more."
"To be able to go to this event and to continue her legacy in something that was so important to her was life-changing," added Josi, who is an engineer herself. "I'm also in the STEM field, and I always looked up to Krystal, so this was just really special."
Anderson left this world far too soon, but her legacy – from the football field to her impact as a software engineer – is an immense one. For example, during her time at Oracle Health, Anderson developed a monitoring system for post-partum hemorrhaging that is now utilized in hospitals around the world.
It's perhaps the example she routinely set for kids, however, that remains her greatest contribution, and it's one that Anderson's teammates continued last month.
"When Krystal passed, one of the things that kept crossing my mind was I just hoped she was proud of us," Ari said. "I hope she's so proud when she sees us on the field, and I hope she's looking down and smiling when she sees us at events like these that mattered so much to her."
To learn more about the KC STEM Alliance, click here.
