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Davina Lockhart’s dream of becoming a massage therapist and successful entrepreneur took a significant step forward when Massage Envy, the nation’s No. 1 provider of massage in the U.S., collectively across its franchise network and a national leader in skin care, awarded her a $15,000 grant. Lockhart is enrolled at The Cortiva Institute located in Cromwell, Connecticut, from which she plans to graduate this month.
Lockhart says she has long been drawn to massage as a career but did not have the financial means when she was younger to attend massage school. Practicing massage became a dream she had to set aside, she says—until Massage Envy surprised her with the help she needed to make it a reality.
The grant from Massage Envy was a way to give back to the massage industry, according to Massage Envy CEO Beth Stiller. It was also a way to launch the Massage Envy National Scholarship Sweepstakes for Massage Therapists, through which eight people a month over the next year will win a $2,500 scholarship that they may use to attend any massage school, for a total giveaway of $240,000. Lockhart’s personal story inspired Massage Envy to provide her the $15,000 grant, which is separate from the sweepstake program and was presented on live TV during the Sept. 2 segment of ABC’s Good Morning America.
“Coming from where I come from, and what I’ve been through, [receiving this grant] is surreal,” says Lockhart. “I’m still processing everything and I’m beyond grateful—I still tear up just thinking about it, honestly.”
Lockhart’s parents faced financial challenges as they raised their eight children. As a young adult, Lockhart began raising her own five children, who now range in age from six to 24 years old, as a single mother. She took care of her parents in their final days and has suffered the pain of having lost her brother James, who was murdered, earlier in her life.
The Massage Envy grant will help Lockhart finish massage school and invest in her private practice, Platinum Lotus Healing Spa. She plans to practice in both Connecticut and North Carolina and has a long-term of goal of becoming an educator.
A focus on helping people has been a hallmark of Lockhart’s personal and professional lives. Her jobs have included call center customer service rep, personal care assistant, and body-care-product formulator. Her new career path of massage therapist is one that will allow her to, she says, “help people heal through the power of touch.”
She is considering specializations in lymphatic, geriatric, prenatal, infant and oncology massage, and says she wants to help clients become aware of various massage modalities and self-care strategies.
Lockhart is looking forward to getting experience as a massage therapist, perhaps at a Massage Envy location, before eventually launching a private practice. The ultimate dream? To create a bodywork healing experience for cancer clients in honor of her mother, who lost her fight to breast cancer in 2020.
As she moves forward on her journey of becoming a massage therapist, Lockhart says she wants everyone to know they have the ability to progress and grow, to always be better today than they were yesterday.
“Don’t give up,” Lockhart says. “Find your passion and hit the gas. Keep your hands open to catch the blessings the universe has for you. I am proof. I am a living testimony. This is just the beginning!”
To learn more about the Massage Envy National Scholarship Sweepstakes for Massage Therapists or to enter, please go to www.massageenvy.com/scholarship.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to legal residents of the 50 U.S./D.C., 18+ (residents of AL & NE who must be 19+ or residents of MS who must be 21+) as of date of entry. Employees of Massage Envy, GMR Marketing, are not eligible. For one (1) entry during an Entry Period, between 12:00 a.m. CT on August 22, 2022 and 11:59 p.m. CT on August 31, 2023, go online directly to massageenvy.com/scholarship to complete an entry form with the information requested on the entry form during the Sweepstakes Period and accept the Official Rules and Sponsor’s Privacy Policy; then click “Submit”. All entries must be received by the end of an Entry Period to be eligible for that entry period. Limit one (1) entry per person/authorized e-mail account holder during the Sweepstakes Period. Limit one (1) prize per person during the Sweepstakes Period. See Official Rules at http://massageenvy.com/scholarship for entry periods, odds, prize description, limitations, and complete details. Sponsor: Massage Envy Franchising, LLC, 14350 N 87th St Ste 200, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.