Rekindling that youthful enthusiasm

Jessica Holmes

Jessica Holmes (RTA ’98) is a comedian, author, and mental health advocate.


When I chose comedy as a career, I made the liberating assumption that I’d always live on a sofa in a friend’s basement. For years after graduating from Ryerson’s RTA program, I worked temp jobs by day and performed at open mic venues at night. It was the most creatively prolific time of my career. But that creativity stagnated once I got comfy on prime time and realized I finally had something to lose; an audience, a reputation, and enough money to stop buying no name brand wieners from No Frills. Continue reading “Rekindling that youthful enthusiasm”

For alumni, by alumni

Welcome to the Ryerson Alumni blog, giving voice — through their own words — to a few of our many incredible graduates. From criminal justice and mechanical engineering to psychology, our blog writers have a diverse set of backgrounds, career paths and graduation years. Whether providing advice to current students and new graduates as they enter the working world or sharing insights on professional development for those more advanced in their careers, our writers also share their personal stories in the posts. And of course, no matter where they end up, they all began right here, at Ryerson. 

Check back often for new posts about and by your fellow grads and please email us if you would like to contribute! Happy reading.