LAKE COUNTY — Kelseyville High School students Michael Allen, 15, and Michael Davis, 14, spent Friday getting physical ? pumping iron, spotting a weightlifter and learning what it means to be a personal trainer. They got class credit for the day for a finance class as part of National Job Shadow Day. The Feb. 1 event is aimed at helping high school students pick a career.
Allen and Davis shadowed Aaron Jameson, a personal trainer at Quail Run Fitness Center, Iron Worker Gym and the Sutter Wellness Center. Jameson worked with firefighter Bob Minenna on his personal goal of losing weight and strengthening his heart. The two teens watched and spotted Minenna during a training regimen as Jameson talked to them about using proper technique and posture, and gave them a chance to use the equipment.
“We definitely do need more trainers, because a lot of people do need a personal trainer there. People do better to have more instruction than aimlessly coming in not knowing what to do regarding technique and how often to work out,” Jameson said.
Getting paid to get physical was the biggest incentive for Davis. “My whole life, I”ve done sports a lot, and this is the closest thing to sports. I want to help people be as active as I am,” Davis said.
Minenna said his goal is to lose 21 pounds in three months and to strengthen his heart so he can stay fit for his physically demanding job as a firefighter. “It will be a hard day when I walk into the station and hand over my gear and don”t do it anymore. It”s the one-on-one training that makes it good. We need more people like this who want to set themselves a goal,” Minenna said gesturing to the two teens.
Kelseyville High School teacher Tammy Serpa coordinated the program this year, beginning with her finance class of approximately 15 students. She said the effort “snowballed,” ending with more than 40 students shadowing professionals in and around Lake County.
“I think it”s exciting for kids to see what they can actually do in Lake County. There were a lot of jobs they didn”t think existed in Lake County. Not all students dream of getting out of Lake County. I think a lot kids think, ?that”s what I want to for a living, how do I do that in Lake County?” This shows them that those opportunities are here,” Serpa said.
Students followed professionals in the fields of sound engineering and broadcast journalism through Bicoastal Media, cosmetology through Ceridono”s Hair Company, law enforcement and forensics through the Lake County Sheriff”s Department and the California Highway Patrol, health care through Sutter Lakeside and Redbud Community Hospital, photography through Davis Photography, interior design through Sandi”s Interior Design, youth advocacy and bereavement counseling through Hospice Services of Lake County and massage therapy through Serenity Massage and Day Spa massage therapy, among others. Serpa said the only two students she is still trying to match with professionals were those interested in fashion and meteorology.
“A lot of students think a job is something different than what is when they go see it,” Serpa said. “I want them to go see what it”s like before they invest a lot energy and time, maybe they fine tune it more, or they do it and think, ?yeah, this is exactly what I want to do.””
Allen said after spending part of the day with Jameson that his view of the job had changed. “I used to think it (being a personal trainer) was all about losing weight. Now I know that it”s all different reasons ? getting more muscle, coming back from an injury,” Allen said.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
