BIO
Kyli Santiago is an award-winning poet, author, spoken word artist, songwriter, entrepreneur, and mental & emotional wellness advocate based in the Metro Atlanta area of Georgia. She was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and raised in Boston, MA. She received her BA in Theatre Arts and Sociology from California State University, Dominguez Hills .
She began writing and performing poetry as a form of therapeutic release from symptoms of depression that she silently battled since childhood. Using poetry, performance, and alternative healing techniques, she eventually healed herself from the condition without the use of conventional medicine.
She is passionate about the power of moving forward in life. She believes that if you keep moving forward, you open the door to true happiness, fulfilling your life’s purpose, and becoming the best and highest version of yourself.
Themes throughout her writing include self-love, overcoming depression, releasing toxic relationships, pursuing your dreams, and connecting to the higher self. She has made her poetry available to the world in hopes that it will serve as a tool to encourage others to move forward past their obstacles and achieve their goals in life.
Award-winning poet
Internationally recognized, Kyli Santiago has established herself as one of today’s most energizing, talented, and inspiring new voices in poetry. Her unique style, authenticity, and artistry as a writer have earned her seventeen distinguished book awards worldwide.
Award-winning poet
Internationally recognized, Kyli Santiago has established herself as one of today’s most energizing, talented, and inspiring new voices in poetry. Her unique style, authenticity, and artistry as a writer have earned her seventeen distinguished book awards worldwide.
2022 Award-Winning Finalist American Writing Awards
2022 Award-Winning Finalist American Fiction Awards
Award-winning poet
Internationally recognized, Kyli Santiago has established herself as one of today’s most energizing, talented, and inspiring new voices in poetry. Her unique style, authenticity, and artistry as a writer have earned her seventeen distinguished book awards worldwide.
2022 American Fiction Awards Winner
2022 Literary Titan Gold Book Award Winner
HER STORY
Since the age of eight, after appearing in her first school play, as Gretel in “Hansel and Gretel,” Kyli Santiago had dreams of becoming a successful Hollywood Actress.
During high school she dedicated all her free time participating in theatrical performances with a community outreach program called WEATOC (We’re Educators; A Touch of Class) – which not only helped her to hone her acting and performance skills, but ultimately helped her to combat issues of low self-esteem and depression she’d been silently suffering.
Determined to achieve her dreams of becoming a professional actress, at age nineteen, she made the bold move to transfer to from Emerson College, in Boston MA, where she attended as a theater major, to California State University, Dominguez Hills, to continue her undergraduate education, while at the same time, pursuing her professional acting career.
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, she wasted no time establishing herself as one of Hollywood’s most promising young leading women, acquiring entry into the professional actor’s union SAG-AFTRA, and landing several notable roles in film, and popular TV shows including – “Sister, Sister,” “The Young and the Restless,” “The Climb,” “Saved by the Bell,” “Family Law,” “Strong Medicine,” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” She also appeared in numerous national commercials for major corporations including – McDonald’s, Subaru, Long John Silver’s, Applebee’s, Smart Yellow Pages and Sears.
Despite her undeniable success, her dreams came to a ceasing halt when acute symptoms of depression took over her world. Santiago was forced to abandon her dreams while she spent the next five years in a fight for her life – estranged from family, tormented by thoughts of suicide, enduring episodes of self-harm, living each day in complete despair.
Determined to finally beat her mental illness, Santiago began writing poetry as a form of release and healing. After practicing this therapeutic exercise for some years, Kyli eventually claimed victory over the debilitating condition, emerging fully healed, depression-free, able to live a normal, productive life.
“I genuinely believe in the healing and transformative power of poetry, and I have made it my personal mission to get the word out to those who may be suffering in silence, like I once did.."
- Kyli Santiago
HER MISSION
Having experienced for herself the healing benefits poetry has to offer those suffering with emotional and mental health issues, Kyli Santiago has chosen to use her story of survival and triumph to help others struggling with similar challenges by organizing over a decade of her poetry into five poetry collections with the intention to inspire and encourage others to achieve their goals in life.
In September 2021, she independently published ‘Healing Yesterday’s Tears,’ a carefully curated collection of poems, written during some of her darkest moments batting and healing herself from depression, designed to guide readers through a cathartic process of mental and emotional healing and release.
In her own words Santiago states, “I genuinely believe in the healing and transformative power of poetry, and I have made it my personal mission to get the word out to those who may be suffering in silence, like I once did. Letting them know that recovery is possible. That they can win the fight against depression, thoughts of suicide, low self-worth, and many other mental and emotional stumbling blocks they may be facing and go on to achieve their goals in life.”
HER STORY
Since the age of eight, after appearing in her first school play, as Gretel in “Hansel and Gretel,” Kyli Santiago had dreams of becoming a successful Hollywood Actress.
During high school she dedicated all her free time participating in theatrical performances with a community outreach program called WEATOC (We’re Educators; A Touch of Class) – which not only helped her to hone her acting and performance skills, but ultimately helped her to combat issues of low self-esteem and depression she’d been silently suffering.
Determined to achieve her dreams of becoming a professional actress, at age nineteen, she made the bold move to transfer to from Emerson College, in Boston MA, where she attended as a theater major, to California State University, Dominguez Hills, to continue her undergraduate education, while at the same time, pursuing her professional acting career.
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, she wasted no time establishing herself as one of Hollywood’s most promising young leading women, acquiring entry into the professional actor’s union SAG-AFTRA, and landing several notable roles in film, and popular TV shows including – “Sister, Sister,” “The Young and the Restless,” “The Climb,” “Saved by the Bell,” “Family Law,” “Strong Medicine,” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” She also appeared in numerous national commercials for major corporations including – McDonald’s, Subaru, Long John Silver’s, Applebee’s, Smart Yellow Pages and Sears.
Despite her undeniable success, her dreams came to a ceasing halt when acute symptoms of depression took over her world. Santiago was forced to abandon her dreams while she spent the next five years in a fight for her life – estranged from family, tormented by thoughts of suicide, enduring episodes of self-harm, living each day in complete despair.
Determined to finally beat her mental illness, Santiago began writing poetry as a form of release and healing. After practicing this therapeutic exercise for some years, Kyli eventually claimed victory over the debilitating condition, emerging fully healed, depression-free, able to live a normal, productive life.
“I genuinely believe in the healing and transformative power of poetry, and I have made it my personal mission to get the word out to those who may be suffering in silence, like I once did.."
- Kyli Santiago
HER MISSION
Having experienced for herself the healing benefits poetry has to offer those suffering with emotional and mental health issues, Kyli Santiago has chosen to use her story of survival and triumph to help others struggling with similar challenges by organizing over a decade of her poetry into five poetry collections with the intention to inspire and encourage others to achieve their goals in life.
In September 2021, she independently published ‘Healing Yesterday’s Tears,’ a carefully curated collection of poems, written during some of her darkest moments batting and healing herself from depression, designed to guide readers through a cathartic process of mental and emotional healing and release.
In her own words Santiago states, “I genuinely believe in the healing and transformative power of poetry, and I have made it my personal mission to get the word out to those who may be suffering in silence, like I once did. Letting them know that recovery is possible. That they can win the fight against depression, thoughts of suicide, low self-worth, and many other mental and emotional stumbling blocks they may be facing and go on to achieve their goals in life.”
HER MISSION
Having experienced for herself the healing benefits poetry has to offer those suffering with emotional and mental health issues, Kyli Santiago has chosen to use her story of survival and triumph to help others struggling with similar challenges by organizing over a decade of her poetry into five poetry collections with the intention to inspire and encourage others to achieve their goals in life.
In September 2021, she independently published ‘Healing Yesterday’s Tears,’ a carefully curated collection of poems, written during some of her darkest moments batting and healing herself from depression, designed to guide readers through a cathartic process of mental and emotional healing and release.
In her own words Santiago states, “I genuinely believe in the healing and transformative power of poetry, and I have made it my personal mission to get the word out to those who may be suffering in silence, like I once did. Letting them know that recovery is possible. That they can win the fight against depression, thoughts of suicide, low self-worth, and many other mental and emotional stumbling blocks they may be facing and go on to achieve their goals in life.”
Contact Kyli Santiago
If you would like to reach out to Kyli Santiago regarding media inquiries,
performances, speaking engagements, comments, or questions, please visit her contact page.
Contact Kyli Santiago
If you would like to reach out to Kyli Santiago regarding media inquiries, performances, speaking engagements, comments, or questions please visit her contact page.