After TMU — Nathan Santos

Across Canada, April is celebrated as National Poetry Month. The theme chosen for 2021 was resilience. To join in the celebration, we invited alumni to submit their original pieces for us to share. We received one submission from Nathan Santos, Radio and Television Arts ’20. It is a beautiful spoken word poem about his experiences over the past year. 

What inspired the poem and spoken word piece? 

When I saw that the 2021 poetry theme was resilience and that Ryerson University wanted to hear from their alumni, I knew what I had to do. 

Over the past year, I have become more willing to share my spoken word poems. I found solace in this form of expression. As I mentioned in the poem, for some people the pandemic was the worst part, but for others it may have just been one piece in a terrible year. I felt that by sharing my story, maybe someone could relate to it and know that they are not alone. 

I felt compelled to point out the difference between resilience and perseverance, and if anyone reading this heard my poem, let this be the takeaway: things will always get better. Even when it feels like you’re alone and you have no one and nothing, please remember YOU ARE RESILIENT and YOU WILL persevere. 

What does poetry and creative expression mean to you?

I find that poetry comes from a place of vulnerability, and for a long time I was too shy to share my work publicly. But this year has taught me the peace one can find when they are able to truly express themselves and embrace who they are. If you’re reading this, let this be your sign to take the leap and show people what you can do. 

What have you been up to since graduation?

This pandemic took 4 jobs from me that I had lined up post-graduation. I channeled my frustration into growing my content creation, my brand and working in spaces I had never considered before. I’ve been working as a supply teacher at an elementary school in Mississauga since October and I’ve loved every second of it. I also produce a  podcast ‘The Jersey Wall’ with new episodes released every Monday! It’s available wherever you get your podcasts. For more of my spoken words, I can be found on Instagram @thenathansantos (external link, opens in new window) .