From on the scene to behind them, newly acquainted with the Lakewood High School Sports Exercise Science program, Kayla Caruso sits down with us to discuss her rise at Lakewood.
“Throughout my life, I have always been active, been an athlete and even had my own injuries, so that was kind of my first introduction into sports exercise science,” said Caruso.
Caruso was a certified athletic trainer, or CAT, at Baldwin Wallace University and Oberlin College. At those colleges, she worked with athletes in all sports, but mainly focused on football, women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball.
“Being in the role of an athletic trainer is much more individualized,” Caruso says. “You have assigned teams, coaches, and athletes—those are your athletes, in a sense. You are responsible for their medical care and their condition. But at the same time, with my athletes, my approach was to educate them.”
Being in a field where you have to take direction for so long can lead to a struggle in transitioning into teaching, but for Caruso, it was a piece of cake. As she talked about before, her motivation with her athletes was not only to care for and consult them, but also to push them to know more about their injuries and their bodies overall.
To truly understand Caruso as a teacher, I took the time to sit down and speak with a few of her students to get a sense of her teaching.
For some background, the Westshore Career Tech program at Lakewood High School enables juniors and seniors to gain additional knowledge in their chosen fields. Students apply for the class at the end of their sophomore year. For their first year in the program, or their junior year, students learn the ins and outs of the field, including terminology, test-taking skills, and effective communication. During their second year, students learn gain hands-on experience and jump into the field.
For the first year of the 2026 Sports Exercise Science Program, Daniel Popio taught it. Popio received a new offer to teach at Mentor High School, leaving room for Caruso to step in. However, building chemistry with a class and then leaving can cause some disputes in future learning. Lakewood students are learning to deal with change in a rather well-mannered way.
“There are some similarities between Popio and Caruso. They are both very hands-on teachers. For example, we do a lot of taping, like the ankle and the shoulder.” Jack Jarvi, a senior in the sports and exercise science program, said.
Trying to leave your mark on a class accustomed to different styles can be a challenge for some, but Caruso is only hearing positive feedback.
“The one main difference between the two is really the project work. Last year, Mr. Popio did not assign many projects. However, Ms. Caruso is very project-heavy. I think this is only due to the fact that we are seniors, and it is to help us prepare for future internships and jobs,” said Jarvi.
To get the other side of the spectrum, I also talked to junior Mehki Williams. Being new to the class, like Caruso, can be both a benefit and a detriment. Caruso can shape the class into her style instead of trying to simulate a style for the seniors.
“I think she is doing a good job of integrating herself into Lakewood,” Mekhi says. “I believe it is super beneficial to have a teacher who came from the field that they teach, especially a field like sports and exercise science,” he states.
Using her passionate nature for the field, the Lakewood Sport Exercise Science program is lucky to have her. With her background in athletic training and her commitment to student growth, Caruso is ready to challenge and inspire her classes.
