Barely surviving a life-threatening situation is not something easy to live with every single day. It can mean living a life of fear and caution, but for young Ava Swiss, the bad days propelled her even more in reaching out for her dreams.
18-year-old Ava is a senior high school student at Oxford High School in Michigan.
Apparently, the school recently underwent a tragic event when 16-year-old Ethan Crumbley allegedly shot four students to death back in November 2021. It was a terrifying incident that resulted in trauma and fear in the students.
Ava and her brother survived the shooting, but it left a big fear in their hearts. They almost did not want to go back to school but bit by bit, they grew the courage to go back and move forward.
Ava wanted to pay tribute to everyone affected by the event thru her song choice when she decided to audition for America’s Got Talent Season 17.
The senior high school student fought back against her demons and went to audition for the popular talent show. She stepped onstage in front of the crowd and the famous judges.
She shared her story and her own experience of survival. Simon Cowell praised her for her courage and told her how special she is. When asked about her choice of song, she shared that she will be singing Lauren Daigle’s “Remember”.
“We’re not just a town with a tragedy. I wanted to show them what our community is really like, and most importantly, how a community can come together and how they have proved that things do get better with hope, love, and support,” Ava shared in an interview with People.
Finally, Ava got to sing her incredible number.
Her clear, powerful voice resonated across the huge room. She sang every line like she was telling her own story. Because of her own experience, every word that she sang became as real as can be.
Ava was not just singing. She was inspiring every single person in that room, and the judges are wowed by her talent and her emotional rendition of the song.
The judges were stunned by how talented Ava is.
Howie Mandel gave her props for having the strength and will to move forward and reach for her dreams. She is definitely one tough girl.
“In life, it’s tough to show up, especially after going through incredible trauma,” the judge said. “The fact that you can break through that, and shine the way you did today, is so inspirational for every human being.”
Heidi Klum, on the other hand, described her performance as “incredible” while actress Sofia Vergara exclaimed that she had “goosebumps”.
Simon commended her for her bravery.
“I think you are gutsy,” he said. “For me, this is one of those auditions I’ll never forget. I really have so much respect for you, and on top of that, you’ve got a great voice. You’re really somebody who I’m so happy to have met.”
Ava, truly, is one inspiring young woman.
Know more about her story and how her audition went by watching the video below.
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