Hebron native steps out of ‘nerdy scientist box’ — to cheer for Patriots

By Nicholas Shigo
the Journal Inquirer
April 13, 2016

Hebron native Theresa Oei has a long list of accolades and awards that includes being named a Presidential Scholar and Connecticut Science Fair winner.

She’s added a new one: cheerleader for the New England Patriots.

Oei, a 2011 graduate of East Catholic High School in Manchester, has a bachelor’s of science degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University. She currently works at the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard studying genome-editing techniques.

“This is a nice way to show that you don’t have to fit into the box of the nerdy scientist all the time,” she said of her new position.

A world-ranked Irish step dance champion and a classically trained ballet dancer, Oei performed with dance companies and teams through her school career and saw the Patriots as a way to keep that balance in her life.

“I wanted to find some way to keep dancing and still have that aspect of exploring movement and finding new kinds of beauty in my life,” she said.

Oei said she decided to try out for the team because of her many years of watching Patriots football with her father.

“I thought it would be a fun way to join the organization and explore a new style of movement,” she said. “I saw the audition process as an adventure, a chance to get out of the lab and have some fun.”

Oei said that between work at the lab and practice twice a week with the Patriots, time management will be a priority. She said it’s a matter of knowing where her priorities are, but making sure that includes having fun.

Members of the team are signed for one year and need to re-audition the following spring.

Oei said she hasn’t decided if she will be on the team next year because she is applying for doctoral programs.

She said if she ends up at a school in the Boston area, she may stay with the team.

She hopes being on the team will give her the chance to be a good role model for students in New England through the many events the cheerleaders attend.

“It’s been pretty funny walking around the streets and seeing someone with a Patriots hat and jersey and being a part of the organization and representing that,” she said.

Oei said she wants to reach out to students interested in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields in particular, based on her own career path, to show them there’s time to include other pursuits.

“It’s great to get out there and do something different and pursue those at an elite level,” she said. “It’s OK to pursue those things and go on an adventure.”