School shooting survivor delivers heartbreaking performance on 'America's Got Talent' – Upworthy

She honored her community in a big way.
A beautiful tribute to those taken too soon.
Sometimes the best part about watching “America’s Got Talent” isn’t seeing extraordinary performances—it’s witnessing extraordinary courage.
Eighteen-year-old Ava Swiss displayed both talent and courage with her breathtaking rendition of “Remember” by Lauren Daigle. Swiss’ vocal chops and stage presence were certainly enough to make a lasting impression. But the reason behind her song choice made it all the more impactful.

In an exclusive interview with People, Swiss shared that she had been close friends with 17-year-old Justin Shilling, one of the four students killed. The trauma of such loss and surviving a harrowing (though sadly, not unimaginable) experience made the thought of going back to school seem impossible.
“It’s been hard. I remember my brother and I, we were talking to each other, and we said, ‘There’s no way we’re ever stepping foot back in the school,’” she told the judges.
The high school senior’s audition had been filmed prior to the recent series of public shootings across America. It’s heartbreaking that these tragedies have become so common, no question.
But as Swiss demonstrates, resilience can be immensely healing. Swiss added that she and her brother had been back at school for about two months … all before singing so powerfully she was met with a standing ovation.
Mandel told her. “The fact that you can break through that, and shine the way you did today, is so inspirational for every human being.”
This was, of course, before receiving a unanimous “yes” to move onto the next round of the competition.
If the resounding praise from all four judges wasn’t enough, fellow students of Oxford High sent a flood of loving comments to the video posted on YouTube as well. One student wrote:
“Hi another student from Oxford high school, this performance will stay on repeat in my head for years to come. It was extraordinary and so beautiful it gave me chills down to the bone. This was something I didn’t know I needed, it made me cry a lot but also gave me a lot of strength. I’m so proud of our community and of Ava for sharing her voice with us and the world and making our healing process a little less rough. Stay strong Oxford.”
It’s not easy to get up on stage and bare your soul, especially after trauma. Swiss’ performance was a big win before she hit a single note.
Sawyer's ongoing struggle with SpongeBob SquarePants' legs is a must-see.
Sawyer checks her work once in a while as she builds her hallway dam.
The fact that beavers build dams is one of nature's coolest features. Gathering and stacking tree branches, rocks, grass and mud across a river so they can build their homes underwater is a unique instinct among the animals—and a strong one.
Apparently, it's so strong that beavers will build dams anywhere, including inside a human's house using whatever items they can find.
A video shared by Dr. Holley Muraco, director of research at the Mississippi Aquarium, shows a female beaver named Sawyer busily gathering stuffed animals, blankets, Christmas decorations, wrapping paper and more to build a dam in a hallway, and it's seriously the most delightful thing ever.
Sawyer pauses once in a while to assess her work, which is adorable. And her ongoing struggle with SpongeBob SquarePants' legs is a must-see.
If you're concerned about seeing natural animal behavior like this in an unnatural habitat, don't worry. Muraco explains that Sawyer spends most of her time outdoors with other beavers, but also likes to come in the house occasionally. More on Sawyer's life story below, but first, behold her adorableness at work:
Sawyer is one of three orphaned beavers Muraco is rehabbing at her home with the help of Woodside Wildlife Rescue.
"Sawyer is one of a kind," Muraco tells Upworthy. "Very opinionated and, as crazy as it sounds, intelligent. I raised Sawyer on a bottle in our home and then introduced her to Huck and Finn who are a bit older. All three were orphaned separately when their parents were killed. The three were sent to Woodside Wildlife to be raised as siblings."
Sawyer, Huck and Finn. Perfection.
Muraco says Sawyer started building dams in her kennel as a tiny baby and then moved on to building bigger dams in the hallway. She lives outside with Huck and Finn, but she walks to Muraco's back door when she wants to go inside to check on things and build a new dam.
Muraco says beavers are very social creatures and do better living in a group, but are also one of the most difficult animals to rehab. They have to spend up to two years with rehabbers, which is how long they would spend with their parents in the wild, and caring for them is challenging due to their complex and sensitive digestive needs. They are also prone to illness and there's a lot that's still unknown about vet care for them. Muraco says beavers are also considered a nuisance animal, especially in Mississippi, so it can be hard to find a safe place to release them.
In Muraco's care, Sawyer, Huck and Finn get ample opportunities to practice instinctive behaviors, which is a vital element of rehabilitation. The ultimate goal is for them to return to the wild once they meet key milestones.
Raising beavers is a lot of work, but Muraco is dedicated to preparing these young 'uns for life after rehab, both for their own good and for the environment. "Beavers are a keystone species and are often critical for healthy wetlands," she explains. They are misunderstood creatures and are sometimes killed by people who simply see them as pests, which is one reason Muraco publicly shares her adventures with Sawyer, Huck and Finn.

"We are so excited that people are enjoying watching the beavers and falling in love with this unusual, quirky rodent," she says.
If anyone wants to support these beaver rescue efforts, Muraco invites people to donate to Woodside Wildlife Rescue.
'She does love Philly. She loves hoagies, she loves water ice. And I mean the big one is Target. She is obsessed with Target.'
Rupert Grint's 2-year-old is obsessed with Target.
Who doesn't love perusing the aisles of Target? For many moms it's like a mini-vacation if you can manage to get out of the house without children. You grab a coffee and walk down every aisle touching anything that looks like it may feel soft. It's sort of like an American parent's pastime.
And when you can't sneak away without your custom-made tiny human in tow, you bring them with and by default it becomes an activity they also enjoy. Turns out Rupert Grint's 2-year-old daughter, Wednesday, took note during her time living in America and since returning to the U.K., where there is no Target, she misses it. Every American reading this just audibly gasped.
I know, I know. Take a deep breath. They don't have our weird obsession with the bullseye because it hasn't had a chance to hypnotize them … yet. But Grint's daughter, who is fairly new to being across the pond, has felt the joy of being inside that famous red and white store. She has seen the red polos and khaki pants and there's no turning back for her, so Grint, most famously known for his role as Ron Weasley in Harry Potter, built her one.
Recently, Grint stopped by "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and talked about his daughter, whom he shares with actress Georgia Groome. During the interview, Grint revealed how obsessed Wednesday is with Target, saying she would choose that over going to the park or the zoo. Grint told Fallon, "She loves going to different Targets and kind of seeing how the layout's kind of slightly different. And sometimes she doesn't buy anything, she just wants to kind of browse." Ah, living that American experience.
Fallon reiterates how obsessed Wednesday is with Target, saying, "She's so into Target that you built a little tiny play store for her in your house," as he holds up a picture of the mini retail store. It's complete with a rack of gift cards and scanner.
Watch the interview below:
Her reaction to the music cue was immediate, authoritative and hilarious.
Michelle Yeoh has been acting in films for 40 years.
Michelle Yeoh won the award for Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2023 Golden Globes for her leading role as Evelyn Wang in the acclaimed film "Everything Everywhere All at Once." It was a moment the actress had been waiting 40 years to have, and she wasn't about to let anyone rush her through it.
Yeoh, 60, has been acting in action films in Hong Kong since the 1980s and in the U.S. since the late '90s, kicking martial arts butt alongside the likes of Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan's 007. With major roles in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Crazy Rich Asians," among other films, she's become a well-recognized face to any regular filmgoer. But until "Everything Everywhere All at Once," she had never played the lead role in a Hollywood film.
Winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy was Yeoh's moment to revel in her success after decades of uphill battles as an Asian actress in an industry filled with underrepresentation and misrepresentation. So when the music cue indicated she needed to wrap up her acceptance speech at the two-minute mark, she simply wasn't having it.
It's a common annoyance in award shows for winners to be interrupted by the music during their speeches, which must be kept short so the event doesn't drag on for too long, but Yeoh could have won an award for how quickly and decisively she reacted as soon as the piano music started up.
"Shut up, please," she said, mid-sentence. "I can beat you up, OK? And that's serious."
Watch:
As if this woman wasn't legendary enough already. Congratulations on your Best Actress win, Michelle Yeoh. You deserve it, and you have most certainly earned your full moment in the spotlight.
The bra scene is pure nostalgia.
'We must, we must, we must increase out bust!'
Since it was first published in 1970, Judy Blume’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” has been a literary rite of passage for young girls. Though written decades ago, the book has remained timeless for its authentic portrayal of that exciting, yet horrifying chapter of female adolescence and all the milestones that come with it—including, but not limited to, that first period.
At long last, fans will get the chance to see this classic play out on the big screen. Movie adaptations of books tend to be hit-or-miss, but the fact that Judy Blume herself gave her seal of approval, even going so far as to say the film is “better than the book,” seems promising.

And judging by the reactions to the trailer released Jan. 12, I’d say that folks are hella optimistic.
A few key moments left people particularly excited and nostalgic:
1. The dreaded “changing bodies” school lecture
Oh, the joys of a stern teacher talking about blood flowing from the vagina at school. Maybe sex education has evolved over the years, but the awkwardness of anatomy conversations at a young age seems to be everlasting.
2. Margaret’s prayers to God that accurately sum up preteen girl angst
Even the nonreligious can relate on some level to just not being the weird one, to please, please, please, please just this once be normal while growing up, and wondering if this discomfort will ever go away. This is an essential part of the preteen experience for many, until we realize, of course, that we are much better off just celebrating who we are. And Margaret's earnest prayers are obviously a major aspect of the book, given the title. Duh.
3. Margaret asking mom for a bra
Margaret and other girls can be seen clumsily experimenting with hairspray, curling irons and other grown-up beauty products in order to “fit in.” But the most coveted, most revered item of all, of course, is the bra.
4. Buying pads for the first time at the local drug store
The utter humiliation at finding out the clerk is a boy. Perfection.
5. And of course, the iconic line…
“We must, we must, we must increase our bust!”
That's right, diehard Blume fans. The trailer has all that and more. Watch below:
Comments to trailers can be fairly mixed. However this one received a mountain of positivity.
"I lost track of how many times I read this book while growing up in the 70s. It’s amazing that it’s taken this long for it to be made into a movie!" wrote one person.
Another added, "I'm honestly surprised that a movie version of this book doesn't already exist. But I guess it's time. LOL I'm here for it. I remember reading this in fifth grade. Such a good book for young girls to read and realize that all the weirdness they are going through is normal. It will definitely be a good film viewing for today's middle schoolers and for all the millennials, Xillennials and gen-Xers who grew up with the book."
Perhaps Margaret’s story is so universal because it was inspired by a real-life experience. On her website, Blume shared that as a sixth grader, she did all the things—like stuffing her bra, doing exercises, lying about getting her period—because she yearned to develop into adulthood the way her classmates were (relatable). Blume put her longings to paper, and the rest is history.
Rather than putting it under a modern spin, the movie takes place in the '70s, and spreads its focus across three generations between Margaret (played by Abby Ryder Fortson), her mother (played by Rachel McAdams), and her grandmother (played by Kathy Bates).
Bates indicated that the book’s original intention would be kept intact as she told People that “I think women throughout history have been taught to feel negatively about their bodies and about the processes that their bodies go through. I think this film will help young women feel better about their bodies."
Whether for nostalgia, or for getting a sweet dose of feel-good comedy, you can see “Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret” in theaters April 28.
'I'm looking for a meg!' Molly declared on her way to the bay. Then miraculously, she found one.
Molly Sampson found a 5-inch megalodon tooth on Christmas morning.
Nine-year-old Molly Sampson has been searching for teeth in the water since before she could walk. In her young life, she's found more than 400 shark teeth, some so tiny it takes a magnifying glass to identify them, and the largest measuring an inch or two—until now.
Molly's father, Bruce, grew up on the bay in Calvert County, Maryland, and has been hunting fossils at Scientists Cliffs since he was a small child. Bruce has dreamed for decades of finding a "meg"—a large tooth from a megalodon, a massive prehistoric shark longer than a bus, which scientists estimate could have eaten a killer whale in five bites.
Sometimes our dreams end up coming true through our children—and that's just what happened when the Sampson family went fossil hunting on Christmas Day, 2022.
Molly woke up that morning eager to try out her new insulated chest waders—pretty much the only thing she and her older sister Natalie really wanted for Christmas, according to their mother—so she could go search for shark teeth in the bay with her dad and sister. It's something the family has done countless times, but something about this outing was different.
Molly, Natalie and Bruce on their way to fossil hunt.
Photo courtesy of Alicia Sampson
"I'm looking for a meg!" Molly declared in the car on their way to the cliffs.
The three of them hit the water in 10-degree wind chills, spreading out to search in their own areas. And within 20 minutes, Molly emerged with a shriek—and a tooth the size of her hand. "Look what I found!" she screamed.

Molly's mom, Alicia, says it's as if she spoke the "meg" into existence that morning.
"In her head, she kept asking herself, 'Am I dreaming?'" Alicia tells Upworthy. "She didn't think it was real. She kept saying she couldn't believe it."

Bruce snapped a photo of Molly and her amazing discovery and sent it to Alicia, who had stayed home to avoid the cold weather. (A choice she says she regretted after seeing the smile on her daughter's face as she held her huge find.)
Molly Sampson holding her megalodon tooth on the coast of Maryland.
Photo courtesy of Alicia Sampson
Molly told her mom she had to dive in and get her arms wet to reach the 5-inch tooth, but it was worth it.
It's rare to find such a treasure, even for avid fossil hunters. Megalodon literally means "giant tooth" and fossils that have been found so far have been dated from approximately 23 million to 2.6 million years ago.
Stephen Godfrey, curator of paleontology at the Calvert Marine Museum, told CBS News that the tooth was from the left side of a megalodon's upper jaw and that the creature with this tooth would have been between 45 and 50 feet long—about the length of a humpback whale.
Calvert Marine Museum shared on Facebook that Molly had brought her tooth to the museum's paleontology department, but she gets to keep it in her own collection at home.
The family's finds from Christmas Day, including the megalodon tooth.
Photo courtesy of Alicia Sampson
"My husband is going to build a shadow box for her so she can display it safely," says Alicia. "I am sure she will always keep this tooth. To her—and to us—it is priceless. The joy and excitement it has brought her could never be bought."
Molly has said she'd like to dig for fossils when she grows up, and she's certainly getting a strong head start in that department. She and Natalie have even started their own "Fossil Girls" Instagram page to share their love of fossil hunting.
Congratulations, kiddo, on your incredible find. Happy hunting, Sampson family!
Presley once famously fought to save a chimpanzee who shared her name.
Lisa Marie Presley passed away on Jan. 12 at the age of 54.
Lisa Marie Presley was widely known as a singer and songwriter, following in the footsteps of her father Elvis. But she was also a passionate animal advocate, and after the news of her death on Jan. 12, PETA joined the floods of tributes online to specifically celebrate the late icon’s contributions to animal rights. They began with the lesser known story of Lisa Marie saving a chimpanzee by the same name from a horrendous fate of abuse and exploitation.
According to PETA’s website, “When she wasn’t being hauled around by a leash and forced to perform for human amusement, [Lisa Marie] was often relegated to a tiny cage in a cramped basement and made to wear a collar with a padlock on it."
After learning about chimp Lisa Marie’s plight, OG Lisa Marie personally wrote to the chimpanzee’s owners to ask them to free her. Though that plea never got a response, the overall mission was successful—Lisa Marie was freed and taken home to a new family.
Presley’s family made the announcement of her passing only a few hours after she was rushed to the hospital due to a cardiac arrest. She was 54.
Her mother Priscilla Presley wrote in a statement, "It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us. She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known."
We never know how much time we have on this planet. But time spent trying to make the world a better place for those we share it with is never a waste. Lisa Marie left behind a legacy of great work and great deeds.

source