How I Became a Massage Therapist Even Without My Eyesight
Meet Ty. He is a U.S. Career Institute graduate and a successful Massage Therapist. He and his wife support a family of five children under the age of 10. And he’s accomplished all of this without his eyesight.
Before attending U.S. Career Institute, Ty lived with his family in Oklahoma. He was a personal trainer and gym owner, but the small town they were in couldn’t support the business. He and his wife decided to start fresh in Colorado. With a family to support, Ty knew he had to find a career soon, but he was having trouble finding a job.
“I didn’t have my eyesight so I was struggling to find my way. I wanted to do something where I didn’t have to rely on my eyes because they are failing.”
Ty had always thought of doing massage. “I wanted to do something that I could feel and I felt that it was perfect for me. I really love massage. I’m comfortable with it.” Now the only decision to make was where to go to massage school.
After doing some research, Ty found U.S. Career Institute’s Massage Therapy program. It was a great fit. “We have five kids so I had to do something where I could learn at home.”
Ty enrolled in classes and started working toward his goal. He said that at first, he was overwhelmed. “I didn’t know if I would be able to handle it. But the teachers were great. They helped one-on-one, whatever I needed. And I could go at my own pace.”
Taking care of five kids and finding time to study was no easy task. But since he could complete his classes at home, Ty was able to do both. His goal became a family goal. His wife supported him through every lesson because his vision impairment makes him unable to read. “Usually we stayed up late after we put the kids to bed. Then we would work on the lessons.”
After finishing the written part of his massage program, Ty attended the hands-on training that accompanies the course. He said he felt just as overwhelmed at the beginning of the hands-on training as he felt at the beginning of the course. “But again, the teachers just helped me so much. It made it easy.”
Ty earned his U.S. Career Institute Massage Therapy Career Certificate in February of 2011. He started looking for a job the day he graduated. One week later, he started working as a Massage Therapist at a local salon. “I love it! It’s the best decision I ever made. The things you learn are non-stop, it’s constant. I feel accomplished.”
