Meet Medina Perine | Teaching Artist & Mama

We had the good fortune of connecting with Medina Perine and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Medina, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The beginning stages of the pandemic really triggered the fear of not being able to teach Theater Arts. I have been in the teaching artist field for twelve years. I don’t desire to do anything but work with children or adults leading them in fun interactive exercises that build their social and self awareness. When thinking of a name for the business, I thought of Cesar Chavez qoute “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” Then boom, Broad Ambitions was born. I can have control over my contracts and network to obtain healthy relationships personally and not by way through a company. Strong mental health equates to wealth. I desire to guide the disenfranchised community into a different safer mental space.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is connecting people through Theater Arts. I enjoy creating workshops that connect peers to peers and leadership to staff. It started 2006 at a summer program seeking college students to direct a play and tutor students at an elementary school. It was ugly in the beginning, I had no training in child development, no experience in learning or teaching styles.My experience was performing in 3 school productions as a lead in a few plays. I practiced the same process of preparing for a show with the students in the room. The were remembering English and Math facts through memorization games, the students were playing games that required them to look each other in the eye and express their emotions in front of everyone. The experiences since 2006 are very much the same; participants allow their insecurities melt away each day. I have earned a teaching certification, three trauma training certifications, led three years of workshops with youth in incarceration and youth in reentry programming. A lesson I have learned is that regardless of age, gender, race; people seek someone that will listen to them and notice them without interruption. I want the world to support Broad Ambitions to continue to grant people an opportunity to revisit their perspective of life and move beyond their traumatic experiences.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love Houston’s food!!!! Mo Betta Brews is a cozy vegan cuisine restaurant and my favorite dish is the oyster poboy made with mushroom; however the sandwich is incredible along with their pecan pie pancakes. The drinks there are potent and delicious. The elderberry mimosa changed my life and mood. I love to hang out at Velvet Taco, there are multiple locations around Houston; however the location on Washington has a magical vibe. The museums here have breath taking exhibits and nature paths that can calm ,ease,and restore. The SHAPE center in 3rd ward has been restoring the community for over 50 years.if you drive anywhere in Houston you will discover very interesting people and visual art.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out Dr.P! She volunteers with World Youth Foundation in Houston,TX, she has written close to 30 published novels,she has been practicing clinical psychology over 20 years. She is an active Mama; always showing up for her daughter’s swim meets, taking her to school and back to social media to keep the fans of her podcast, Da Mind Matters engaged once a week every Thursday. She is an incredible person.

Website: Broadambitions.org

Instagram: @ambitions_be

Linkedin: Medina Perine Broad Ambitions Non profit

Image Credits
Karmonic Zeta