SciCheer: What turned you on to science and when?
Ada: As a child I had the desire to study medicine and determined at a very young age that when I went to college, I would major in biology.

SciCheer: What is your degree in and from where?
Ada: Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas Tech University

SciCheer: Favorite and/or least favorite courses you took to prepare for your degree?
Ada: I liked the clinical portion of nursing school when we got to take care of patients directly. The experience provided a great deal of learning by placing me in real life situations.

SciCheer: When did you cheer for the Texans?
Ada: 2006-2007 Season

SciCheer: Which came first? Your interest in science or cheerleading?
Ada: I would have to say my interest in science came first. My career path was decided before I reached middle school, I started taking interest in cheerleading in high school.

SciCheer: Can you describe a typical day for you?
A typical work day is comprised of:
• Treating patients holistically: addressing their mind, body and spirit
• Effectively communicating with other members of the health care team to assure that we are working together to meet a patient’s goals
• Evaluating lab results, vital signs and determining how the values may affect a patient’s care and health
• Serving as a mentor and leader to nursing students and other staff
• Help to provide a positive patient care experience.

SciCheer: Did you find that stereotypes about cheerleaders helped or hindered your studies or professional experiences? (Were you taken seriously?)
Ada: I do not think that I was directly affected by any cheerleader stereotype especially during my professional experience. At times doctors or patients would find out that I was a cheerleader from co-workers who were so proud of me, however any negative perception was quickly dropped once they encountered my poise, expertise and professionalism.
 
SciCheer: How did your fellow cheerleaders accept your interest in science?
Ada: They were very respectful of my career choice.

SciCheer: Do you have any advice for youngsters who might feel torn between following one dream (cheerleading, etc) associated with beauty and following another (a STEM career) usually associated with, well, geeks?
Ada: My advice is this: if you love them both, then do both. There is nothing wrong with following two dreams. You’ll have to be prepared for the hard work but it is not an impossible task.
 
SciCheer: Along these lines, what advice would you give your 12-year-old self?
Ada: Don’t be afraid to try a dream, it’s never too late, however the sooner you, start the better the bigger your dream has the potential of becoming!

SciCheer: What are your plans for the future?
Ada: My future plans involve having the best of both worlds. Although I am no longer a cheerleader, I currently perform on a fitness performance team, which helps to promote exercise and health. In the science realm I am planning to further my education in science to perhaps becoming a nurse practitioner.

SciCheer: Best cheerleading experience?
Ada: Walking out of the tunnel at the Reliant Stadium for the first time. As a team we had worked so hard together but there is nothing like the sound of those fans!

SciCheer: Best science-related experience?
Ada: My best science related experience involves teaching. I love educating patients, peers and students about anatomy and physiology, or perhaps pharmacology (and the way that medications affect the body). Knowing that I have helped someone is priceless.

Meet more Science Cheerleaders!

In our ongoing effort to playfully challenge stereotypes by showcasing professional cheerleaders-turned-scientists, I’d like to introduce you to Ginger, a former Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader with a Masters Degree in Nursing.

SciCheer: Ginger, please tell us what turned you on to science.

Ginger: I entered Purdue University studying nursing because I wanted to work with–and help–people. After a year there, I decided  I wanted to go to medical school, so I moved back to Kansas City to go to KU for my pre-med requirements but decided to switch back to nursing.  I guess I just felt like the human aspect was sometimes missing from some of the doctor training programs.  I earned my Bachelor’s in Nursing and started working in an emergency room.  After a couple of years of this, I decided to go back to school and get my Master’s in Nursing.  I became a Nurse Practitioner so now I  diagnose, treat, prescribe, and do all sorts of procedures.  It is like the best of both worlds!  I love my job — I have autonomy to make decisions and treat patients, and I have the nursing background and caring touch that goes with it!

SciCheer: Do you find that your looks (or being a former cheerleader) helped or hindered your studies or professional experiences? (Were you taken seriously?)

Ginger: I actually never flaunted the fact that I was a cheerleader.  It was always my practice to let people get to know me for me, and then to let them find out about my cheerleading experience on their own.  I was very proud of my cheerleading days, but that was not something I felt right about telling people straight out.  Many people have stigmas or stereotypes about professional cheerleaders, and I wanted to prove that I was a ‘real’ person with intellect and compassion before they found out about what I did on the side.  That in itself created a level of credibility and trust and actually broke down some barriers that might have been present before.  When asked about my ‘looks’ — I never got caught up in this.  I don’t know if I was judged by my physical appearance or not — if I was, that is a detriment for the people who were doing the judging.  Beauty only lasts for a short time — life is not about what you look like on the outside.

SciCheer: Tell me a little about your favorite courses.

Ginger: I absolutely LOVED microbiology!  Playing with the microscopes and learning about organisms was amazing!  I also loved my criminal psychology and neuropsychology class.  There were intensely interesting.  Anatomy and physiology as well as pathophysiology, while difficult, were excellent classes, too.

SciCheer: Do you have any advice for middle or high school girls who might feel torn between following one dream (cheerleading or dancing) associated with beauty or following another (science) usually associated with, well, geeks?

Ginger: I would say first of all, you can do BOTH!!  I have done it and there is no reason why you cannot chase ALL of your dreams!  You only live once, so go out and try what you want to do!  Worst case scenario you fail but still have amazing experiences and life lessons to carry with you.   Like I said above, beauty isn’t everything; it is fleeting and we should not put our hopes and expectations into something that is so superficial.  Enjoy what you have, but ABSOLUTELY do NOT put value in things that are not of substance.  It is very easy to find an outwardly beautiful person who is ugly on the inside.  Be different!  Be a beautiful PERSON — someone who has strength of character, loves others well, lives for relationship, is fully present, and doesn’t put stock in how pretty she is.  THAT is a rare and truly breathtaking person.

SciCheer: Best cheerleading experience?

Ginger: Going on the USO tour with our team to Italy!  How awesome to go and entertain those who are fighting for our freedom!!  Those are memories I will never forget!  I also will never forget how it felt to come out and do the opening number where the players would run through us as we were lined up on the football field.  Arrowhead is so loud and full of energy — there is NOTHING like it!!

SciCheer: Best ER experience?

Ginger: One of the best ER experiences would have to be when a gal came in who had almost cut off her fingers with an electrical hedge trimmer.  I worked on her hand for a couple of hours, one stitch at a time, trying to put everything back together in working order.  As I worked on her, we talked about her life, her children, her husband, her travels, and I shared with her about myself.  I was so worried about her hand.  I went home that night with her on my mind, and she stayed in my thoughts for days after.  I was afraid the damage was too far down and that her fingers would either not heal, or get infected and she would lose the use of her hand.  Several weeks later, one of my nurses told me I had a visitor in the waiting room.  When I went out to see who it was, it was that patient and her husband.  She had tears in her eyes and a glove on her hand.  She took the glove off, and her hand was perfect!!  She could use all of her fingers, she had full sensation, and it looked great!  It was wonderful!  We hugged, she cried in joy, and we both laughed at how worried we were that her hand was too far damaged, and yet it healed wonderfully.  It was truly a memory I will never forget.

SciCheer: Anything else you’d like people to know?

Ginger: The saying is old but true — ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’.

SciCheer: What’s next?

Ginger: I have applied to go back to school for my doctorate!

Good luck, Ginger! Thanks for lending your voice to science and cheerleading.

Meet Rachel: A former Washington Redskins Cheerleader who enlisted in the Navy and now has her sights set on becoming an anesthesiologist. How does she synthesize these seemingly different worlds? She’s here to tell us.

Tell us about your job in the Navy and how science prepared you for that role?
I commissioned as an officer in the Navy out of college as a Registered Nurse in the Navy Nurse Corps.  I started out on a Surgical/OIF/OEF injury ward at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD for two years and switched to the multi-service Intensive Care Unit for the next two years.  In that time I was deployed to a small firebase in Afghanistan with a Forward Surgical Team operating alongside Army Special Forces.  Science and medicine go hand in hand.  Learning all we can about the different sciences from biology to physics has assisted me and continues to assist me in understanding –and staying committed to–evidence-based practice.

Tell me about your current field of study? Why did you choose it?
I am currently in graduate school for Anesthesia.  I fell in love with taking pain away, not only as a nurse, but when I worked at Bethesda on the wounded soldiers coming back from overseas.  We used the newest technology in pain control and I had a chance to see how much I could help control someone’s pain.  When I was deployed to Afghanistan that solidified my passion for anesthesia as I was able to “shadow” the CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) for the eight months I was there, while I was also applying to Anesthesia programs.  Putting people to rest, pain control, managing trauma, all were amazing amounts of autonomy and adrenaline rushes to the max for me.  It has been a great challenge applying to and getting into my program but I couldn’t be more excited about where I am now.

Do you find that your looks (or being a former cheerleader) helped or hindered your professional experiences? (Were you taken seriously?)
That is such an interesting question.  I was often called into different patient rooms when one of my fellow nurses or Navy corpsmen (similar to a civilian ‘’tech’’, but they are amazing and so capable of just about anything!) would slip about it to a patient and the patient wanted to meet me (or joke with me about their rival team).  It was great fun and most people just wanted to know what it was like.  I was surprised at the respect I received because we all know the stigmas associated with dance teams and cheerleaders.  I knew I had to prove that I belonged in the military and I could be taken seriously.  When I was deployed to Afghanistan I was quite firm in making sure I didn’t let it slip because I didn’t want to lose any respect I had gained.  I left the blow-dryer, the hair products, the make-up, all at home.  I figured if I looked au naturale no one would second guess me.  I wasn’t able to keep the secret for long, it leaked from a few places and ended up spreading like wild fire.  I suppose I had either proven my capabilities or folks were less superficial than I had suspected.  It turned out to be a great morale booster in the end!

Tell me a little about some of the favorite courses you took to prepare for your professional career.
I’m in a course right now that I am really enjoying.  It’s “Chemistry and Physics of Anesthesia.”  We’re learning about how all of the pressures and every symbol on the planet affect the vessels and body. Another great one was my Advanced Pharmacology course last semester.  I’ve taken several Pharmacology and Physiology courses before but this one was not simply rote memorization.  We learned more about drug interactions and drug metabolism, which I found very interesting.  The other that sticks out in my mind was Human Anatomy.  I was blessed with an undergraduate nursing program that utilized cadavers and that was an incredible way to learn the human body.  Learning about CT scan slices and every little muscle, tendon, bone, and organ I found incredibly fascinating.

Do you have any advice for middle or high school girls who might feel torn between following one dream (cheerleading or dancing) associated with beauty and dummy traits or following another (science/engineering) usually associated with, well, geeks?

Children can be so mean I must admit, it’s somewhat disappointing.  I was teased about everything as a child, and yes I was in that “ugly duckling” for years!  You have to stay true to yourself.  I projected myself in so many different directions as a child to find what my true love was – it was dancing.  If it is what you want to do, do it.  Being smart is sexy, you’ll find that out as you grow up.  It makes you confident and makes others know you respect yourself.  The only way others can be confident in you and respect you, is if you do that for yourself.  Take up a challenge, you’ll feel awesome afterwards!  Academia has never been an easy task for me, I have to work harder than others to make sure I’m taking everything in, but I feel so accomplished in the end the challenge is worth it.

Anything you’d like to add that you want people to know?
Try not to judge a book by its cover, because everyone has a story.

“Most awesome” experience as an officer in the Navy?
My deployment was actually my “most awesome” experience in the Navy thus far.  It was such a hard time to go through.  Very isolating, very difficult, very scary at times, but I wouldn’t change a moment and yes, I would do it again in a heart beat.  Most can’t imagine why we love to “go back” despite the hardship it causes our lives, but you don’t understand until it’s you.  I found out a lot about myself during that time as well as discovering what I’m truly capable of not only as a Naval officer but as a nurse.  I was able to do so much over there that was technically out of my “scope of practice.”  I had the chance to see and do things a very small percentage of nurses, let alone people, ever get a chance to experience.  It was simply gratifying to overcome the challenge, to help or change others’ lives.  I look forward to graduating and being able to get back on another deployment!

Anything memorable worth nothing during your RN schooling or now, as you continue your education and heads towards a PhD?
I still can’t believe I am where I am some days.  I have to pinch myself to know I am in Anesthesia school.  This is what I’ve been working so hard for for years.  I will graduate in May of 2012 (the program is 32 months straight).  After that I would very much like to continue on for my DNP (Doctorate of Nursing Practice).  The PhD will continue to be in the back of my mind.  I may go for that one day.

Thanks, Rachel. Something tells us, you’ll earn that Ph.D….

Check out other Professional Cheerleaders-turned-Scientists and Engineers.

Meet Sandra, a former Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader who’s now an emergency room registered nurse.

Tell us about yourself, Sandra:

I’ve always loved science. I remember receiving a telescope and microscope science kit when I was in elementary school. I think all sciences are fascinating!

My favorite classes included Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Microbiology. In fact, while in nursing school, I took a microbiology course that I loved so much, I almost quit nursing to pursue a career in microbiology.

Unlike, Michelle, the former New Orleans Saints cheerleader-turned-chemist, I wasn’t as “into” chemistry and physics compared to biological sciences.
Some people think of  Cheerleading and Science as two worlds. In my opinion, I think being a former cheerleader may have helped my career.  As cheerleaders, we are ambassadors for our organization and we must have people skills. These also happen to be terrific qualities in nursing because we are so hands-on with patients, we stand behind the hospitals we work for, and it’s important our patients feel we are rooting for their recovery.

Whether someone is considering a career in science or not, nothing in this world is more empowering than to do what you love (dance/cheer) and back it up with a good education and awesome grades. Being smart IS beautiful and dancing/cheering will give you an outlet! I’ve danced and cheered with some of the most brilliant women in this world who have gone on to become doctors, engineers, science and math teachers, and nurses.  Nothing geeky about that!

GOOOO Science!

Signed,

Sandra from Atlanta