Woodbridge Resident Discovers Second Career in Massage Therapy

Massage Envy Spa, the pioneer and national leader of professional, convenient and affordable massage and spa services, has announced the fourth recipient of its Massage Envy Scholarship Program. Cyrille Barr, a single-mother of three from Woodbridge, VA, is a student at the National Massage Therapy Institute and received a $500 check, which she will use to acquire her Virginia State Massage Therapy license.  

Barr is the first recipient from the National Massage Therapy Institute and was selected to receive the scholarship after completing the nine-month massage therapy course. The Massage Envy Scholarship program requires that students maintain a GPA of 3.5 and 95 percent class attendance, along with submitting a written essay or video message. The winner is selected by a panel of Massage Envy Spa franchisee owners who evaluate each application.

As a single mother of three, laid off after 12 years with the same company, Barr searched for new opportunities for a promising future. Through taking care of her late mother, who lost her battle with breast cancer, she realized that her hands could heal and relive the pain and stress of those in need. The idea of a career in massage came through the inspiration of great women in her life.

“People are often weary whether or not to take a chances later in life, but, through faith and love I was given the motivation I need to succeed” says Barr. “I am humbled to receive this award, it is reassurance that this decision was the right one. This award further motivates me to help heal and inspire others through massage.”

“All of us at Massage Envy Spa are thrilled to be awarding this scholarship to such a deserving professional,” say Winston Moore, Regional Director of Therapist Development at Massage Envy. “This [scholarship] program gives hope and assistance to the most promising graduates. We couldn’t be prouder to partner with NMTI to provide more opportunities for their students and the future of our industry.”

After completing her licensing exam Barr hopes to start her massage therapy career at Massage Envy Spa and to one day potentially open her own clinic. She believes that as part of the Massage Envy team she can put the skills she perfected at the National Massage Therapy Institute to use.

Massage Envy Spa remains committed to giving back locally, in the communities they live, work and serve. It launched the scholarship program in January 2013 in an effort to help future massage therapists get started in the industry. Its commitment to education helps to validate the massage therapy career while giving back to the industry as a whole.  

For more information about Massage Envy Spa, visit http://tiny.cc/z5obyw or call (410) 544-3800.