ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A ribbon cutting was held at Lakewood High School for a new exercise lab to be used by students in its Athletic Lifestyle Management Academy (ALMA) program.

"I was surprised," said Samorion Lang, 17, a senior about to begin his fourth year in ALMA. "I wasn't really expecting them to get a whole new set of new equipment. I thought we were going to get a few dumbbells or something, but it's good to have a whole new set-up."

ALMA focuses on health and wellness classes and is aimed at students interested in health care careers. Once they complete courses, students are eligible to earn their certifications to become personal trainers or medical assistants.

"They can push themselves to become doctors," said ALMA Instructor Phillip Muszynski. "They can work in a hospital, they can work with a football team, if they wanted to. They can do a lot of different things that's going to take them in an area or a space where they're going to be able to grow as far as health and wellness goes."

Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital Sports Medicine Program Medical Director Dr. Patrick Mularoni said the hospital has partnered with Lakewood High since 2014. He said a $25,000 grant from the hospital's foundation and a donation of equipment from Valor Fitness made the new lab possible. Mularoni said he met with Muszynski and ALMA Program Lead Instructor Erika Miller about the lab in March of last year.

"It looked nothing like this, and it was hard for me to see, but they knew it was there. Before leaving, I committed that our medical staff would help support the curriculum," said Mularoni, who said hospital physicians already provide Zoom lectures to Muszynski's classes. 

According to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, the equipment in the new lab will help students interested in becoming certified personal trainers hone their skills.