Popular Taylor Swift backup dancer will speak at UMKC graduation
The Swifties who are graduating from UMKC this year might see a familiar face when their big day arrives.
The university announced that alumni Kameron Saunders will be one of the two commencement speakers for the 2026 ceremony on May 16. He’s most-known for being a backup dancer on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. He also appeared in 2023 adaption of “The Color Purple.”
Saunders, who received his Bachelors of Fine Arts from the university in 2014, is the 2026 UMKC Conservatory Alumni Achievement Award winner. Jan. 25 is known in Kansas City as the Kameron Saunders Day of Dance, an honor that was set in motion in 2024.
He will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony, recognizing his fellow alumni from the UMKC Conservatory, along with the School of Science and Engineering.
Dr. Amy Patel, the 2026 UMKC Alumna of the Year, will also be speaking at this year’s ceremony. She received her Bachelor of Liberal Arts in 2010, and her Doctor of Medicine in 2011, both from UMKC.
Patel is currently the medical director at Liberty Hospital in Liberty, according to her LinkedIn. Her advocacy for breast health and equitable access to care, alongside her love for the Chiefs, led her to being the 2022 Chiefs’ Fan of the Year.
She will speak at the 2 p.m. ceremony recognizing her fellow alumni in the UMKC School of Medicine, along with the schools of Nursing and Health Studies, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Law. Patel will also speak at the 6 p.m. ceremony recognizing graduates of the Henry W. Bloch School of Management as well as the schools of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences and Humanities and Social Sciences.
The ceremonies will take place at the T-Mobile Center.
