When Marisa Lieske was choosing her career, she researched many options before deciding which path to follow. She took career and personality tests, and researched pay, benefits, career longevity, and other considerations. She wanted a job that would keep things interesting and flexible while honoring her instinct to help others—so she decided on Massage Therapy. Marisa found the Massage Therapy program at Carrington College and took a tour; she liked how welcoming and kind everyone was, and the cost worked out for her as well. She began in June of 2019 and completed her courses in May of 2020. Because of the pandemic, she had to extend her externship twice—but she persevered and graduated—landing a job she loves at the spa where she had her externship.
“I loved learning all the different modalities of massage,” she says. “My favorite is definitely energy work, as most of the time you can see a change happen almost instantly. You can see instant changes with other modalities, too, but energy is the most fun for me.”
Aside from the pandemic, Marisa also faced a lot of challenges in her personal life during her course of study. “It was one thing after another,” she remembers. “I’m married with four young boys, and we ran into car troubles, constantly having to move our camper that we live in, having one vehicle, taking my husband to work, driving to Emmett to take my oldest to school, and then I’d have to go to work—making sure everything was in order so I could go to school myself.” The hardest obstacle, though, was when her husband had to quit working due to his health. On top of the worry, there were suddenly doctor appointments added to the scheduling mix.
“There is no way I would’ve been able to get through school alone,” she says, “but I had an amazing support system through my family and my classmates. My classmates and teacher were always jumping into action to do anything they could to make sure I was able to make it to school and help with studying.”
Marisa’s instructor, Michelle Fenn, noticed her student’s great attitude and determination. “Marisa was always helpful, positive, and willing to learn,” Michelle says. “She was always willing to complete work, no matter the hardship—and it encouraged others to do so as well.” Marisa is currently loving her job at Organic Origins spa, where she is steadily growing a returning clientele and has helpful, knowledgeable coworkers.
“She has a calming affect and is always willing to help others,” Michelle says. “Her empathy comes from the heart. This will make her a great therapist—both for her clients and her employers.”
Marisa is grateful for the education and the great support she received at Carrington College. “To anyone looking to starting school there,” Marisa says, “Just remember: if you are in need, ask for help. Everyone there will do anything they can to help students. They all want to see you succeed.” We at Carrington College are inspired by Marisa and proud of her success—we wish her all the best!
