Photo Credit: Baltimore Ravens
Hello, Science Cheerleader fans! As part of NFL Playoff season, we are interviewing some of the current professional cheerleaders who are cheering their teams in the playoffs while also pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. Read on to learn more about Lexy, an emergency room registered nurse and member of the Baltimore Ravens cheerleading squad.
How did you get interested in science?
I always was interested in science classes growing up, and loved taking biology and anatomy. I wanted to combine my interest in science with my passion for helping people and decided to become a nurse!
Who had the most influence on your career choice?
My mom definitely had the most influence on me becoming a nurse. She is always pushing me to be my best and to follow my dreams. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all that I have without her!
How would you describe what you do?
Being a nurse in a busy Baltimore Emergency Department, I have taken care of a wide range patients in different situations. From broken bones and the flu, to more life threatening scenarios like heart attacks and brain bleeds, I am able to be there for my patients and offer them support in many different ways. I administer life saving medications, monitor a patient’s vital signs, and perform physical assessments throughout the night, and I am there for family members when they have to say goodbye to their loved ones. Being a nurse is something special, and though it is hard, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else!
How do you integrate your studies/career with being a professional cheerleader?
Most often nurses will work three 12-hour shifts per week, which is what I do! It works for me, because I am able to schedule my work nights around cheerleading practices and football games.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
My favorite part about being a nurse is being able to make a difference in people’s lives. The patients I care for are at their worst, weakest, and sometimes in the scariest situation of their life– and knowing that even just the smallest thing I do for them can make such an impact is all worth it to me.
What’s been the best experience as an NFL cheerleader?
It is hard to choose which experience of being an NFL cheerleader is my favorite, because we are able to do so much and reach so many people in our community. However, I would have to say the most rewarding experience in my cheerleading career was being able to travel overseas on a military tour. My team and I were able to visit military bases throughout Europe to meet and perform for our soldiers. While we were there, we were able to get a sense of what it is like living on a military base, and see just a glimpse what our soldiers do on a day-to-day basis to protect us and our country. Being able to bring entertainment and a little bit of “home” to those who sacrifice everything for us was a life-changing experience that I will never forget.