It was Business Plan Competition Week at Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute and the massage students were preparing their presentations. One team had printed goodie bags and water bottles with mock logo designs and another team’s uniforms promoted their new creations. Since Ridley-Lowell’s 900-hour Massage Therapy program includes a career development course, practitioners-in-training think entrepreneurially, even inviting local professionals to evaluate them on operations, strategy, marketing and financing. Students often say during orientation that they want to make a real difference for people, a healing career that gives back. The Danbury campus is designed to feel more like a cozy home than a school, nurturing the students as they are taught proper body mechanics. The Ridley-Lowell massage program specializes in sports and medical massage for injury prevention and healing. Instructor Steven Tullino, LMT, who works with the Danbury Whalers, and Instructor Ron McKnight, LMT, owner of the Center for Therapeutic Massage and Athletics, have formed a Ridley Lowell Triage Team, participating in pre-race assessments and post-race restoration at regional competitions. Lead Instructor Irene Mardal, LMT, is experienced in complementary medicine at Danbury Hospital. The Ridley-Lowell Massage Therapy program recently graduated twelve students who are passing their National Exams, getting licensed and being placed in their dream jobs as professional LMTs.

Ridley-Lowell is located at 44 Shelter Rock Road, Danbury. Call 203.797.0551. Visit Ridley.edu.