Chyanne Perry

As a child, Chyanne Perry wanted to be a surgeon. But when she grew up and had a child of her own, she realized she needed a career in the medical field with fewer time constraints. That’s when she decided on a career in massage therapy.

Being a teen mother made it difficult for Perry to attend a four-year university on a full-time basis. Fortunately, Cuyahoga Community College gave her the solution she was looking for. Tri-C not only offered the same opportunities of a four-year school at an affordable cost, the College made it possible for her to balance her time, as she worked, attended class and raised her son.

While at Tri-C, Perry majored in advanced massage therapy and minored in Spanish, graduating with an Associate Degree in Applied Science in 2008.

After graduation, she spent three years working as a licensed massage therapist for a chiropractor. However, she eventually wanted more personal satisfaction and freedom, so she applied her skills and work ethic to establishing her own massage therapy business.

Perry rented a small space in a nail salon and worked seven days a week to build her client base. After three years of operating out of the nail salon, she was able to open Spa Lavender, her own day spa in downtown Solon.

Perry has received her Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification from the state of Ohio. Spa Lavender is the first MBE-certified day spa in the state.

Since opening the spa, Perry has continued to expand her qualifications, graduating from Brown Aveda Institute in July 2019 with an esthetics license,  and is active in training other massage therapists wanting to advance their skills in the industry.

Perry credits Tri-C with giving her the self-confidence to start her own business. At Tri-C, she learned the value of strong communication skills, time management and working with a team, which she now uses in her business operations and the training of her staff.

“I would recommend Tri-C to anyone, but specifically to those wanting or needing to stay close to home, save money and reduce financial dependency on student loans,” Perry said. “Tri-C provides a challenging curriculum; however, it will prepare you for the world and assist in developing the skills needed to have a successful career.”