‘In Focus’ – An Interview with Charmaine Santos
Charmaine Santos (she/her) is the founder of The Literary Tutor, an online tutoring service that specializes in the English language.
For over 13 years, Charmaine has worked with students of all ages and backgrounds to boost their confidence so they can achieve academic success. With a background in English Literature from the University of Toronto, Charmaine’s teaching methods are rooted in the desire to build connections and empower students through the art of storytelling. In addition, her background in Corporate Communications and Public Relations from Centennial College has enabled her to convey her passions to students all across Ontario.
Driven by an urge to create and advocate, she founded The Literary Tutor in 2015. Today, she continues to work alongside other educators to provide students the tools and encouragement they need to reach their academic goals and establish critical thinking skills that will allow them to develop into engaged and empathetic life-long learners.
Charmaine Santos | Founder & Educator
“I commit to nurturing the relationships I have with parents and their children. Being true to myself and staying humble has undoubtedly brought more joy and ease into my work.”
Tell us about yourself and your work.
One significant event I remember from my childhood was Harry Potter being banned in my elementary school. Our teachers and some parents believed magic exposed children to Satanism, which, of course, encouraged us to hide the books under our coats and trade them in secret. Having been educated in Catholic schools throughout elementary and high school, a lot of the books I read in class were curated, and much of the information I consumed was Eurocentric. It wasn’t until I went to university to study English Literature that my perspective of the world changed. It felt like an unraveling.
It took a long time for me to learn how to ask the right questions about the people and events around me, and this could not have happened without the support and guidance of my professors. It was through them that I understood how asking the right questions and observing the world through different lenses could make reading and writing a liberating excursion to endless possibilities.
Their passion for the written word and dedication to their students inspired me to pursue a career in education. Eventually, I founded my own organization as an expression of gratitude to my teachers. Through The Literary Tutor, my goal was and still is, to instill the same curiosity and delight in learning that I had experienced in my own journey. I’ve been fortunate to have worked alongside other driven and compassionate tutors who share a similar vision, and, over the years, we’ve provided tutoring and mentorship to students throughout Ontario with lesson plans that promote critical thinking and diversity.
Homepage of The Literary Tutor website, where visitors can learn more about services offered, insightful blogs, and useful resources.
What challenges or barriers have you faced in your industry as a woman of colour?
Being an Asian woman has been more of an advantage than a barrier in my industry. Prior to permanently moving lessons online, I taught students in person, and parents, understandably, felt more comfortable welcoming me into their homes and leaving their children in my care. However, most of the challenges I face as a woman of color and a female entrepreneur are internal.
As a first-generation immigrant, I witnessed how hard my parents worked to blend into a new, foreign environment while keeping us well-fed and sheltered. My mother was a seamstress who, despite having Rheumatoid Arthritis, worked for an awnings manufacturer, and my father, before retiring early due to a chronic illness, was a custodian at a local bowling alley. Growing up, I often heard my parents compare the hardships endured by each generation in our family, and I couldn’t help but measure where I sit on the scale of suffering. I inevitably came to the conclusion that if work is not hard, it isn’t fruitful. On top of that, our patriarchal society had instilled in me the belief that building a successful business from the ground up is a hefty goal to have as a young woman, which meant I would have to work three times as hard to achieve my goals.
“Our patriarchal society had instilled in me the belief that building a successful business from the ground up is a hefty goal to have as a young woman, which meant I would have to work three times as hard to achieve my goals.”
Contrarily, immigrating to Canada from the Philippines at 8 years old gave me plenty of opportunities to explore, experiment, fail, and succeed. I had the privilege of time and support to pursue a career that aligned with my values, and I found work to be enjoyable and easy. It didn’t take long, however, for the hesitations to kick in. As soon as The Literary Tutor reached its next milestone, I began to question if I truly deserved my accomplishments, which I thought should have been more difficult to attain. I was plagued with doubts. Did I miss a step? Will they think I cheated? Will they call me out?
To this day, I am still navigating through my self-doubts and learning to recognize and celebrate the little wins that got me to where I am today.
Tutors at The Literary Tutor write blogs around many topics that give students a more holistic learning experience, providing diverse recommendations along the way.
What are some strategies and approaches you use to cope with these challenges?
I’ve read many professional development books - mostly written by male authors, that urge entrepreneurs to adopt domineering strategies to build successful businesses. In the beginning, I tested these strategies like recipes from a cookbook, but I felt more anxious and even afraid after trying them out. I eventually decided to be more authentic and used the very qualities that would otherwise be considered “weaknesses” in women as my strengths.
“Advocating for all women creates spaces where community and belonging, not competition and isolation, can thrive. Ultimately, by uplifting the women in your life, you are cheering for yourself too.”
Instead of selling a brand to clients, I commit to nurturing the relationships I have with parents and their children. I’m also very sensitive to their needs. Instead of calling myself an expert, I regularly admit to not knowing all the answers and commit to finding them with my students. Instead of trying to adhere to expectations of what a true professional entrepreneur should be, I still use exclamation points in my correspondences. Being true to myself and staying humble has undoubtedly brought more joy and ease into my work.
What advice would you give to younger women of colour in your industry?
Focus on your strengths. When doubts and fears creep in, use your strengths to ground you and remind you of the value you bring to the people you help every single day.
Continue to learn new things and hone in on the skills you feel you still need to improve. Studying will inspire you to keep going because there is always progress in learning something new.
Lastly, when you feel overwhelmed or ready to call it quits, pour your energy into advocating for the women in your life. Whether they are your colleagues or your loved ones, advocating for all women creates spaces where community and belonging, not competition and isolation, can thrive. Ultimately, by uplifting the women in your life, you are cheering for yourself too.
How do you see the future of workplaces for women of colour?
An advantage of teaching as a tutor is the freedom to deviate from the traditional and sometimes outdated texts studied in the school curriculum. In the last decade alone, however, I’ve seen more representation in books studied in schools, with a greater focus on Indigenous literature and works from women and people of color. With more diversity and representation in the curriculum, making connections has never been easier for teachers, as students themselves are able to see their experiences reflected in the texts they’re exploring. It has definitely created more opportunities for classrooms to have deeper discussions about history, identity, and belonging, which leaves me feeling very optimistic about the future of education, especially in Ontario.
Connect with Charmaine