Greg Levinsky
Olivia Kerins walked through the tunnel and onto the field for the New England Patriots mid-September season opener, each step improving her view of the packed Gillette Stadium stands.
“You can go to as many games and sit in the front row, but this was a totally different feeling that’s second to none,” said Kerins, 27. “To walk out on that field was the moment that I realized I made it.”
The Patriots might not have provided many highlights during the team’s worst year in recent memory, but Kerins experienced a season to remember. The 2014 Belmont High School alum completed her first season as a Patriots cheerleader, fulfilling a dream that took four tries to achieve.
Now a Watertown resident, Kerins flourishes in two careers, cheerleading and nursing. Her day job as a full-time nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital helped her break into cheerleading. New this year, her audition included writing a paper on the prospective cheerleader’s personal philanthropic community mission.
Kerins’ idea? An offshoot of a nursing concierge company. Nurses on the Surface raises money for skin cancer research and prevention, and Kerins donates her time performing skin checks at shelters and veteran homes. As an oncology nurse, Kerins finds many people lack skin cancer awareness.
“Educating and offering services has been awesome, and it’s definitely a passion of mine,” Kerins said. “I’ve really enjoyed the experience, and working with the Kraft Group has just amplified that and given me a bigger platform to stand on and talk about it.”
Part of being a Patriots Cheerleader is meeting and interacting with fans. A lifelong Patriots fan, Kerins enjoyed connecting with young girls who may want to follow in her footsteps someday.
“Having those interactions with the fans for me was one of the greatest experiences, whether we won or lost the game,” Kerins said. “You get to connect with the community in a way that I also do as a nurse, so it’s really cool to be able to extend that dream of mine.”
Kerins returned to Belmont High School last week to share her story and work with the Belmont High School cheer team. She spoke with the juniors and seniors, learning about their postgraduate aspirations. Most student athletes felt bittersweet about ending their high school chapters. Kerins assured them doing two things at once works out just fine. She’s living proof.
“I told them that whether it’s cheerleading or another hobby they have, to always pursue their hobbies alongside their career goals,” Kerins said. “It’s all about balance. As much as you can love your career, you also want to stay true to who you are and hold on to those hobbies as well.”
Kerins began cheerleading in first grade while her brother played football. While cheerleading, she would watch her mother help young football players battle through injuries and knew nursing was her calling.
Kerins cheered throughout high school but stopped in college, instead focusing on her nursing studies at Anna Maria College, where she studied health science, and later at Bay State College, where she became a registered nurse.
Her nursing career began at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge in February 2020, and she moved to Massachusetts General Hospital in January of this year, where she serves as Nurse Manager — Dermatology Surgery & Laser Cosmetic. Kerins also works part-time for her parents’ company and is planning her wedding to fiancé Joseph Farrar in June.
