While many young adults toil away at finding their passion in life, there are some who are able to not only find it, but also cultivate passion into something worthwhile.

Salvin Chahal is one of those people.

At just 20 years old, the Sacramento State junior business major has garnered an impressive list of accomplishments that only seems to expand, as his presence in the spoken word community grows.

Chahal believes his unique approach to wordplay is what fuels his craft.

“There’s a lot of poets these days that are on Tumblr and YouTube, and they’re not using a lot of literary devices, and they get a lot of attention, and my opinion is that a lot of audience members and people like that ‘watered down,’ simple poetry, and not something that can speak a lot of variables,” Chahal said. “I think my poetry is simple, and it can be complex as well. I write both.”

Chahal got his start in spoken word poetry while attending John F. Kennedy High School. At the urging of his friend, Chahal entered the SAYS Slam poetry competition, a spoken word contest, and won.

“I wrote my first piece in a car, driving to the San Francisco Zoo. [I] came back, performed it a couple nights later, and its been a hit, and it’s still one of my most well-known poems,” Chahal said.

Out of the many pieces Chahal has performed, he counts “Sexual Language” as one of his favorite and most popular poems.

Harkeerat Sandhu, a 23-year-old government senior, explained her love of “Sexual Language,” citing Chahal’s clever wordplay as what attracted her to the piece.

“The theme of the poem, he delivered it in a sexual way that you would think is very condescending, but if you actually think about it, it’s actually very empowering,” Sandhu said.

“Tendencies” is another popular piece by Chahal, and is one he performed at a recent Sac State event “Still I Rise,” which was an event aimed at uniting students, faculty and staff.

Chahal performed “Tendencies” to Beth Lesen, the associate vice president for student affairs prior to the event, and it was that performance that secured his spot on the roster of speakers.

“I thought [the performance] was fantastic. He’s a very talented young man. His message is a powerful one that really resonates with a lot of people. Not just students, but lots of people,” Lesen said. “It’s a beautiful piece and he performed it elegantly.”

While Chahal’s onstage presence has gained him notoriety, his offstage work is just as impressive.

Chahal serves as a mentor to young children, helping guide them as they discover their own voice. Chahal acknowledges the importance his role as a mentor plays, and is not a title he takes lightly.

“It’s a lot of pressure knowing these kids have a lot of things to say that will make you go home and kind of, haunt you. Sometimes it will be something so mind bending, like, you’ll have little girls that say, ‘I am dark. Does this mean that I’m ugly?’ Hearing little kids say that, it’s hard to comprehend what kind of community, or space they live in where they believe things like that. It’s very heavy,” Chahal said. “They teach me a lot, I teach them a lot, and it’s all good.”

It is Chahal’s commitment to others, as well as his commitment to his craft, that stood out to Robert Ceaser, a 24-year-old communication studies senior.

Ceaser admires Chahal’s giving spirit and ability to reach outside the box, believing these qualities are the tools that will guide Chahal to achieve his full potential.

“He’s adamant about his craft, you know, he really believes in his craft. [He’s] not like, ‘I’m doing this to get followers,’” Ceaser said. “He’s a go-getter, he’s always doing something different.”

While Chahal has made great strides in his journey, it has not been without its own set of challenges.

Toward the beginning stages of Chahal’s career, he admits his parents did not fully understand the value in the work he did, as spoken word was not something very common in the Indian community.

However, Chahal explains the art world in the Indian community has gradually become more open to a variety of different styles, such as different musicians and poets, and because of that, has allowed him as well as other Indian artists to flourish.

“Lately in the Indian community, [the] art community has been developing, or has developed, very well in the Indian community over the last, I want to say five years, so now there are a bunch of musicians, artists, and poets and stuff, that there weren’t before,” Shahal said.

Sandhu, who is also Indian, admits many Indians of the older generation in the community are not always understanding of the art form, and applauds Chahal for pursuing his passion.

“…I know a lot Indians are not privileged with having adults who encourage them, so I feel like it’s beautiful that Salvin’s doing that, and encouraging other people in our community to also do [spoken word],” Sandhu said. “He’s a role model.”

As Chahal continues on his path, he is gearing up to drop his first book this November which he feels many people will be able to connect with.

Chahal has decided to withhold the name of the book until its actual release date, and directs people to his social media accounts if they are interested in the project. However, while Chahal has kept a tight lid about certain aspects of the book, he promises a plentiful amount of “gems” will be found throughout.

“I feel like some people will find solace in the words, and [the book] just speaks for itself,” Chahal said.

Upcoming book aside, Chahal hopes his message of positivity and encouragement will spread, and urges everyone to expand their horizons, and follow their passion.

“Go out of your way. Do things that you want to do. Do something new, [and] if you find something interesting, please pursue it,” Chahal said.

For more information about Chahal, he can be followed via Twitter and Instagram @SalSuave, and on Tumblr at sal-c.tumblr.com.