Student brings theater into classrooms and community
When I started the My Visionary Artist Session (VAS) initiative in 2023, I wanted to offer students from underserved schools and communities the opportunity to engage in the theatrical performing arts.
I’m passionate about creating spaces where students can engage, create, and connect because of my own personal journey with theater, which helped me grow into a more self-confident person through self-expression.
I wanted students, especially those who, like me, did not always have access to the performing arts, to be able to use their creativity to find their authentic voices. Because my mother spent her career teaching in underserved schools with few artistic resources, I focused my initiative on working with Title I schools.
Through Visionary Artist Sessions, I have worked with African American students from Edison Park K-8, Miami Central Senior High School, Brownsville Middle School, and Lindsay Hopkins Technical College. I facilitated workshops for Haitian American students from Toussaint L’Ouverture Elementary School and Lenora B. Smith Elementary School, as well as Latin American students from Fienberg Fisher K-8 Center and Coral Reef Senior High School. I also worked with youth and adults with special needs through the Miami Beach Project SOAR.
I partnered with local artists such as Toddra Brunson, Brette Raia Curah, Xavier Dubricq, Carey Brianna Hart, Jen Karetnick, Geoffrey Philip, Vaughn St. James, Deajah Pierre Jules, John Macho, Heather Thrummer, and Hattie Mae Williams. Together, we brought theater to unexpected places.
I have reached over 1,200 students at 11 schools and facilitated 80 sessions. Visionary Artist Sessions brings theater to unexpected places. It focuses on playwriting techniques, monologue interpretation, and dramatic expression. Students create and collaborate with artists and their peers. This has led to remarkable personal transformation for many of the participants.
There was Godrick, a fifth grader at Lenora B. Smith Elementary School, who clung to his chair and refused to take part in theater games. Sincere, a sixth grader at Edison Park K-8 Center, whispered while her voice trembled when she tried to project lines from a play about Sept. 11. Also, there was Alejo, a special needs adult in the Project SOAR program, who initially was only able to make sounds. For me, it was like looking into the mirror at my younger self.
That feeling of recognition comes from some of my earliest experiences witnessing theater as a space for community, learning, and connection. In the summer of my eighth-grade year, I traveled with my mom to the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, where she studied for six weeks with playwright Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder. In her Theater class at the Sewanee School of Letters, Ms. Wilder discussed plays such as ’Night, Mother by Marsha Norman and Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks.
What stood out most to me were the new plays created by my mom and her fellow playwrights. Ms. Wilder provided feedback as they developed multiple drafts, and actors joined the class to interpret and work through scenes. Watching this process, I discovered the power of a strong creative community built on trust, collaboration, and shared expression.
After that summer, I participated in Sarah Lawrence College’s Writers Week, studying with Alanna Coby in her class, “What It Means to Write for the Stage.” While I learned about monologues, scenes, and character development, the most valuable lessons were about communication, connection, and collaboration. Those experiences shaped my understanding of theater as more than performance; they showed me how creative spaces can help people find their voices. They ultimately became the impetus for my Visionary Artist Sessions initiative, for which I raised $5,000.
I remembered teachers and mentors who helped me feel safe enough to enter creative spaces with confidence. Through VAS, I strive to offer that same encouragement and security to my students.
By the end of the sessions, Godrick eagerly participated in theater games. Sincere delivered her Sept. 11 lines with confidence and clarity. Under the guidance of artist Carey Brianna Hart, Alejo participated in theater games, began mimicking his peers, and eventually spoke. Witnessing his growth — and the growth of so many other students — has been deeply rewarding. At the same time, I have grown alongside them as I work with community members to build inclusive spaces where students thrive.
Executing Visionary Artist Sessions required leadership, communication, planning, and problem-solving skills, but it has also solidified my future path. Working with students like Alejo, I’ve become fascinated with how the mind works and the power of guided, creative engagement.
M-DCPS allowed me the opportunity to bring this initiative to reality. My teachers have encouraged me to continue and truly leave an impact on the community. My school counselor, Arlene Martinez, and media coordinator, Dennis Lindsay, have helped me be recognized for the work I have done through my program.
My future goal is to earn my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I plan to study this in college to gain a better understanding of the human behavior I see transformed every day through my initiative. I also intend to expand Visionary Artist Sessions to include elderly patients experiencing memory loss. Since my grandmother’s dementia diagnosis, I’ve become very interested in how artistic expression can slow down the neurodegenerative effects of aging.
Encouraging students to improve the learning opportunities at their schools by spearheading initiatives to give students greater access to the arts and helping them achieve this goal is yet another reason why M-DCPS is your best choice.
Lola White is a junior and founder of Visionary Artist Sessions, School for Advanced Studies Wolfson Campus, Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
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