7 TMU content creators to follow today
These seven TMU community members are proving that the skills learned on campus translate directly to digital stardom. From top left, Mercedes Gaztambide, Zaynashae Boreland, Ryan Price, Zach Thomson, Stephanie Kalen, Juan Morales and Letitia Kiu.
Journalism grad Mercedes Gaztambide is still recognized as "$5 lunch girl" on Toronto streets four years after her viral $5 lunch challenge videos. Sports Media grad Juan Morales has an Emmy on his shelf from his work with the NHL. Media Production student Ryan Price gets stopped around campus by students wanting to discuss his latest chair review.
These aren't just TMU success stories—they're proof that the university has become a launchpad for some of today's most creative content creators.
What started as dorm room experiments and campus projects has evolved into career-defining opportunities. The seven of them discovered that the storytelling skills, creative confidence and willingness to experiment they developed at TMU translated perfectly to the digital world.
From CBC newsrooms to NHL production studios, from viral TikTok series to home renovation empires, their journeys show how TMU's culture of creativity and collaboration continues to pay dividends long after graduation.
Here's how they turned campus curiosity into digital success:
Juan Morales graduated from the Sports Media Program in 2022 and currently works full-time with the NHL.
Juan Morales' content creator journey began while he was a student at TMU. While on campus, he worked closely with the university’s Athletics department as a video producer for their social media page @TMUBold (external link) .
“It was the place where I discovered my passion and figured out the direction I wanted to take in my career. It also taught me the importance of networking and building relationships in the industry,” he says.
Today, Morales produces video content for the NHL, showcasing different players and teams, promoting events and capturing the biggest moments of the season, including the Stanley Cup Final and Winter Classic.
Since joining the NHL, Morales has had two defining moments in his content career.
One was covering his very first Stanley Cup Final: “As someone who grew up watching hockey, it was an absolute dream come true. I remember staying up in my hotel room until 4 a.m., just buzzing with excitement as I edited the content I’d captured,” he says.
The other came in 2023 when he was a part of an Emmy award-winning production team for the Welcome to the NHL documentary series.
“When I got that Emmy trophy delivered to my door, it felt like a huge testament to all the hard work and the incredible journey I’ve been on. It’s something I’m really proud of, and it’s a reminder that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve amazing things,” he says.
Morales also runs his own creative agency, where he helps athletes, teams and brands develop their social strategy, refine their visual identity and tell stories that actually connect.
He credits his experience at TMU with setting him on the path to where he is today.
“Believe it or not, I hadn’t even picked up a camera until my second year in the Sport Media program. I owe a lot to the TMU Athletics community,” says Morales. “I also have to give a special shoutout to Brian Withers and Ryan Sykes from the Sport Media program. They were incredible instructors and mentors who always believed in me and pushed me to pursue my talents in this space.”
Advice for aspiring creators:
“Start. That’s the best advice I can give. A lot of people overthink and wait for the perfect idea or the perfect piece of content but perfection is the enemy of progress. Whether it’s videos, photos, writing or something else entirely, you have to be willing to create, post, learn and repeat. We’re living in a time where building a personal brand is more accessible than ever. So use that to your advantage. You don’t need a huge following to make a name for yourself—you just need clarity, consistency and the courage to put yourself out there.”
Letitia graduated from the Fashion Communication program in 2014 and now creates home renovation and DIY content.
Letitia Kiu currently creates DIY home and home renovation content, but it didn’t start that way. While she had always enjoyed storytelling, her content creation journey began during her studies at TMU’s Fashion Communication program.
In 2010, a friend with a beauty channel encouraged Kiu to start making videos too. That push led Kiu to launch her own YouTube channel, where she shared fashion, DIY and lifestyle content.
Though she’s no longer creating fashion content, Kiu credits the fashion program at TMU for contributing hugely to how she is now.
“My capstone project in my last year was a great lesson in sharing something unique from my perspective. With the help of some faculty, I learned a lot about communicating your objectives for an audience,” says Kiu.
Her current content still reflects the DIY roots of her original beauty YouTube channel, but now focuses on DIY home renovation projects after she and her partner bought a house in 2020.
“I've always been an over-sharer. I always have something to say,” says Kiu. “I definitely don't feel like I knew how enjoyable it was until I found my voice in carpentry and seeing the feedback of other women telling me that they're now attempting projects that they've never done before is a crazy feeling.”
Kiu is candid about the complex reality of being an influencer.
“It’s a strange job to have, because you feel like you're constantly trying to prove to everybody how much work it takes. But you also live with such privilege and are exposed to so many opportunities," she says. “I'm constantly battling between downplaying my job, and overexplaining how much work is involved but then if somebody challenges me about my job, I'm like no this is a lot of work.”
Advice for aspiring creators:
“Don't be afraid to follow your curiosity and explore.”
Mercedes Gaztambide graduated from TMU’s Journalism program in 2022 and is now a reporter with CBC News Toronto.
Mercedes Gaztambide began her content creation journey during her time at TMU, first posting on her personal page and later joining the undergraduate recruitment platform now known as Choose TMU (external link) .
“As a new student, I was looking for other people who were creating content and resources to help me get through my first year," says Gaztambide. “So when I didn't see a lot of it online, I thought maybe this is an opportunity for me to be that person.”
From filming dorm tours and videos on how to make friends in university to introducing students to local restaurants, Gaztambide found her niche and fell in love with digital storytelling.
She later pivoted to create content for CBC's Street Cents on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts, a series that focused on financial literacy for teens through fun skits, explainer videos and challenges.
One of the standout series she worked on was the $5 lunch series, where she was challenged to find a main, snack and drink for under $5.
@streetcents On the hunt for a delicious vegan lunch on a $5 budget 🥬 #CheapFood #Challenge #VeganFood #BudgetMeals #MealIdeas #StreetCents ♬ original sound - CBC Street Cents
The series became a hit, and after four years she’s still recognized as ‘$5 lunch girl’ when walking down the street.
“If it wasn't for my vulnerability online, I would have never had the opportunities that I do now, and I'm grateful to my younger self for being willing to just post that TikTok and Instagram reel,” says Gaztambide.
While working at Street Cents, Gaztambide also had the incredible opportunity to create content for the Olympic Games in Paris.
“I love the personality that you can infuse when you're creating content. I think that it's something that makes the story much deeper when you can give a little bit more of yourself as a reporter, a creator and a journalist,” she says.
Gaztambide recently joined CBC Toronto as a news reporter. She credits content creation for supporting her with transferable skills to be vulnerable and share stories that connect people deeper.
Advice for aspiring creators:
“Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. Don't be afraid to be cringe and be seen. I think something that I say often is that a lot of people feel afraid to be seen trying, and especially they fear being seen failing.”
Ryan Price (left) and Zach Thomson are going into their second year of media production.
As a Media Production student, Ryan Price has heard from his professors that “the best thing you can do is to just make things and get your name out there.”
Which is exactly what he did when he suggested the idea of TMU Chairs to some friends at the Met Pub.
His friend Zach Thomson, who is the producer of TMU Chairs, thought Price was joking but quickly agreed and was ready to make the vision a reality. A week later, they officially launched their account.
Since its inception in November 2024, TMU Chairs has become a popular and well-known social media account at TMU, where Price reviews and rates chairs across campus with over 3,000 followers.
“My favourite part has been seeing how much it's grown,” says Thomson.
The inspiration came from a mix of internet trends and personal interest. “I had seen one bite pizza reviews and one gulp water reviews online, and I thought it was fun and funny,” says Price. “Someone at my high school also had a chair account, and then The Eyeopener posted a chair review video and that was the spark to launch the account for real.”
As media production students, Thomson and Price apply what they learn in the classroom to help with the success of the social media account.
“One of our production classes made us think about the importance of good audio and influenced us to get a dedicated mic for Ryan to wear,” says Thomson.
“I love hearing what other people think about the chairs I review and creating a community that is able to share my love of chairs,” says Price. “I sometimes get recognized while walking around campus. It's also fun just yapping about chairs to a couple thousand people.”
Advice for aspiring creators:
“Find a niche, be yourself, upload consistently and be confident while on camera.”
“Be consistent in your content, from the upload schedule to the actual content.”
Stephanie Kalen graduated from TMU’s BComm program in 2008, majoring in Marketing and minoring in Human Resources.
Stephanie Kalen saw the future coming before most people even knew what an influencer was. In 2008, fresh out of TMU’s Marketing program, she watched social media transform from a college novelty into a marketing goldmine during her corporate roles at PC Financial and Shoppers Drug Mart.
“Large companies were making social media one of their main focuses,” she says. “I realized this could be a career.”
Six years later, she took the leap. She launched Chic Sophistic (external link) in 2014 as a simple blog, but Kalen’s instincts proved right: it evolved into a lifestyle destination covering everything from Formula One to the Barbie movie launch to financial literacy.
What sets Kalen apart isn't just her early entry into the influencer space—it's her business mindset shaped by her BComm program’s emphasis on collaboration. While others chase the "independent creator" myth, she credits her success to teamwork skills learned on campus.
Kalen runs Chic Sophistic alongside her two teammates, Alex Salavarrieta (external link) and Oksana Kovtun (external link) . “Everyone talks about this independent story of following your heart, doing your thing, but you don't really realize that nothing in life is really your thing. It's always going to involve you leaning on others to help you.”
Advice for aspiring creators:
“If you are able to take advantage of all the different things that the influencer world offers, you kind of have to face fears, cross those barriers and surpass those obstacles in order to maximize that.”
Zaynashae Boreland is an incoming first-year student at TMU’s medical school.
Zaynashae Boreland is a registered nurse and an incoming student to the inaugural class of TMU’s medical school.
She started creating content online because she had a hard time finding Canadian creators with similar paths, which led her to share hers to help others looking for direction.
“When I started applying to medical school, I began documenting that journey as a non-traditional applicant. Now that I’ve been accepted, I post content about med school prep, what my days look like and balancing work as a nurse,” says Boreland.
@zaynashae 3rd university unlocked 🫡 #tmu #tmumedicalschool #medschool #medicalschool #incomingms1 #canadianmedicalschool #CapCut ♬ Coffee and Chords - ya-su
Boreland’s content is rooted in her journey as a second-generation immigrant navigating nursing and medical school without much guidance.
One of her most viral moments was when she leaned into her vulnerability and posted her reaction to being waitlisted.
“I almost didn’t share it because it wasn’t the best news, but I’m glad I did. It reminded me how powerful it is to let your audience see both the highs and the lows,” says Boreland. “Two weeks later, I got off the waitlist and posted that too. Ironically, the waitlist video performed better!”
Advice for aspiring creators:
“Your content doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be you. The more you post, the better you get at editing, speaking and understanding what your audience connects with.”