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Motherhood

Mom beautifully delivers late son's corsage his prom date just weeks after his sudden death

"The fact that she found the strength 🙏🏽."

justice_4justin/Instagram

Justin Etienne's mother Tierra Neil presents his prom date Reyaa with corsage he picked out for her.

Prom is one of the most memorable parts of high school. But for student Justin Etienne, an 18- year-old senior at Salem High School in metro Atlanta, it was a milestone that was missed by a just a few weeks. Etienne, a victim of gun violence, passed away in March 2025.

Etienne had planned to go to prom with his date, Reyaa. In an emotional new video shared by Etienne's family (@justice_4justin), his mom, Tierra Neil, followed through to deliver the corsage Etienne had picked out for her for their special night weeks before his passing.

"My heart goes out to all the moms and families mourning loved ones lost🙏 Justin’s mom went to see his prom date off to prom and to give her the corsage he got for her🥺🕊️💕‼️💔," the caption of the video reads.

In the video, Neil arrives at Reyaa's home with the corsage in her hands. She knocks on their door, and after her family opens it, Neil is immediately overwhelmed with emotion. She is met with a hug, and comes inside the home.

Reyaa is waiting for her in a stunning pink gown that has Etienne's face on the front of it. Reyaa is wiping tears away from her eyes as she and Neil share a long hug together.

Neil takes a moment to look at Reyaa's dress and the photo of Etienne. Then she bravely takes the corsage out of the box, and places it on her wrist. Neil tells her, "You look so pretty," and continues to admire her gown that was designed specially for her by her uncle, Kyle Robertson.

The tearjerker video received an overwhelming response from viewers in the comment section. "When she sees the picture on the dress! She knew her son chose a good one which brings on a whole new hurt. Bless these women," one wrote. Another added, "The fact that she found the strength 🙏🏽🥹." Another shared, "My heart breaks in a million pieces for his mom. Justin should be here going to prom getting ready to graduate! 😢"

In another post, Etienne's family shared more details about Etienne and Reyaa. "Before Justin passed he asked this beautiful young lady to prom and she said YES!! Her designer made her prom dress with his picture on it and even her nails has his name on it!!!" they wrote.

In another post shared on her Instagram, Reyaa also opened up about her experience at prom honoring Etienne. "A Night I’ll Never Forget With a Person I’ll Always Remember💔🕊️," she wrote. "And thank you for the encouragement and push to follow through with this for Justin...And Justin, mann we DEFINITELY showed out in our rose gold! I miss you so much man so much, but I know you were with me🥹!"

Etienne's family has started a GoFundMe account to support his memorial and parents during this difficult time, and shared more about who Etienne was. "Justin was one of the kindest souls you could ever meet—quiet, funny, always full of joy, and never one to argue or cause trouble. He had a bright future ahead of him, and his life was stolen far too soon."

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Joy

Perfectly delivered Monty Python-themed prom proposal might just top them all

It even earned several chuckles of approval from the girl's dad.

Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash

Monty Python is beloved by generations.

As someone who firmly believes that getting a prom date shouldn't be anywhere near as exciting ask asking someone for their hand in marriage, I'm generally loath to share "promposal" videos. Not to be too bah humbug about it, but the elaborate asks have gotten out of hand, and creating a memorable prom proposal feels like a lot to put on already-pressured teens.

That being said, one "promposal" video making the rounds on Reddit and other social media sites is worth watching. Not only does it shine with its clever concept, deft delivery and wholesome hilarity, but the simple joy it evokes crosses generations.

Monty Python has had a rather miraculous hold on several generations and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" in particular has been a cult classic for nearly 50 years. So seeing a group of high schoolers use it as inspiration for a prom proposal has people of all ages giggling with delight.

The video begins with a girl standing in her doorway watching someone perform a trumpet blast in her yard. Then we hear the clippity-clop of fake horse hooves just before a small group of guys come "galloping" into view on hobby horses.

A wigged scribe "dismounts" and unrolls a scroll before declaring, "Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye!" and making the announcement.

I won't spoil it. Just watch:

The beauty of this promposal is that it succeeded in being over-the-top silly without actually being over-the-top. The paper crowns, the fact that they're in normal clothes except for the red robe and goofy wig, the little detail of the kid being lifted off the horse, the scroll simply reading "Prom?"—it all harkens back to a simpler time before viral when kids would do stuff like this just for the fun of it.

Even the man in the background, presumably the girl's dad, chuckles with approval throughout.

It's not easy to hit the mark across generations, but they nailed it. Way to go, guys.

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A transgender student was told he couldn't run for prom king. He fought back and won something better.

A Georgia high school has adapted gender-neutral prom court terminology, after receiving public backlash for telling a student he could only run for prom queen because he was born a woman.

Dex Frier, who has identified as transgender since his sophomore year at Johnson High School in Gainesville, Georgia, was seriously ecstatic when he received one of six coveted nominations for senior prom king, an honor he was beyond excited about. "I was jumping up and down. Me and my best friend were losing our minds, we were so excited," Frier told CBS affiliate WGCL.

However, school officials told him that because he was assigned female at birth, he could only run for prom queen. He — along with his friends, the student body and others around the world — were not okay with that decision.

Frier and his friends started an online ballot challenging the school’s decision.

“Allow transgender boy to run for Prom King,” they dubbed the Change.org ballot, which quickly amassed over 32,000 signatures in a week from individuals around the world supporting their plea for inclusivity.

“Just because I’m not legally male I was going to get excluded from something that every guy has the opportunity to be in high school. It was really upsetting,” Frier, who is often referred to by his teachers with male pronouns, told BuzzFeed on March 21. “As a student I felt I had the right to be put on the ballot.”

He continued: “I don’t know of many trans people who go to this school [but] I don’t want anyone else to have to go through this. It hurts being told you don’t deserve the same rights as someone else because you’re not the same as them.”

The administration was hesitant to make the change, but eventually they came to their senses.

On March 23, the school struck a compromise with the student body. They agreed to change the terminology from Prom “King” and “Queen” to simply having two “Royal Knight” seniors, who could be voted in regardless of their gender identity.

“This plan was one of compromise on both sides, and we would like to thank administration, both at the school and county level, for listening and welcoming our concerns ― and most importantly, implementing a plan to address them,” Frier’s friend, Sam Corbett, wrote about the victory on Change.org. “We hope this petition has not only pushed society further towards human rights equality, but also inspired someone to do the same for an issue in their community.”

He continued: “Not only is that number a symbol of the united support of human rights, but also a testament to the power of the individual.”

Unsurprisingly Frier was named one of the Royal Knights of the evening. Instead of being given the traditional crowns and tiaras, he received a feathered mask.

[rebelmouse-image 19480146 dam="1" original_size="640x269" caption="Photo via Pixabay" expand=1]Photo via Pixabay

“It was amazingly overwhelming to win,” Frier told NBC. “They called my name, and all I could hear were my friends cheering for me. I just smiled extremely wide, and when I got to the bottom of the stairs, all of the people that had helped make this happen were either sobbing hysterically or smiling so wide I thought they would hurt themselves.”

Dex Frier’s experience isn’t just a personal win though. It’s a win for inclusivity. But we still have a long way to go.

Despite the reality that more and more teens today are identifying with non-traditional gender labels, many high schools and educational institutions have failed to adapt terminology and gender policies accordingly. However, there has been some progress made in recent years, signifying that things might be headed in a more gender-inclusive direction for children and teens.

Some of these include an Oregon high school introducing six gender-neutral bathrooms in 2013, a Kansas City school district deciding to go fully gender neutral when they renovated their elementary school bathrooms in 2018 and a Burlington, Vermont school debuting a gender-neutral locker room earlier this year.

At the university level, both Northwestern and Purdue have adopted a gender-neutral homecoming court, and the Chicago Tribune points out that many Chicago area high schools have also eliminated gender from their homecoming courts.

This latest triumph at Johnson High School clearly represents movement toward a more gender-neutral educational system. We can only hope that other schools can adapt their policies accordingly, and don’t have to wait for a situation like this to occur before taking action.

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The Rock couldn't make it to her prom. So he hijacked her school's PA system instead.

Ever consider inviting a celebrity to your prom?

It's almost become a tradition: teens shouting out requests on Twitter and Instagram, hoping their plaintive cries (a limo! a full meal at Olive Garden! dancing till dawn!) will catch the hearts of their favorite celeb.

Most of the time, there's no response. Sometimes, these promposals are (rightly) criticized.

This year, though? Something amazing happened when one Minnesota senior invited Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to prom.

In a Twitter video posted in mid-April, Katie Kelzenberg — dressed in her own version of one of The Rock's most iconic looks (yeah, I'm talking jeans and fanny pack) — laid out the reasons Johnson should come to prom with her.

Her tone? A strong attempt at the "smoldering confidence is my superpower" that Johnson is so well known for.

Her reasons? Undeniable.

And yes, that's a pillow with The Rock's face on it. (Do they even sell those in stores? Was it a custom order?) You know Kelzenberg must have taken some ribbing for that pun at the end — but only because it's so good and we're all just jealous we didn't come up with it first.

Listen, if nothing else, this promposal took some nerve. Maybe that's something she learned from Johnson? Don't be afraid! Shoot your shot! Live free or die hard! (Wait...)

But Kelzenberg couldn't have known what The Rock was cooking.

Most celebrity promposals end up as nothing more than a story about the time you invited a famous person to prom and they never responded. But that's not how The Rock works. The guy lives and breathes good deeds. When he's not charming up the movie screen, he's constantly bringing love and sunshine into the world.

And Kelzenberg was no exception. While Johnson couldn't come to prom, he wanted to make Kelzenberg the queen of her high school. So he coordinated with her school and got on the morning announcements.

"Let's start this Friday morning announcement with a little bit of fun and a little bit of excitement," Johnson said via the intercom.

That's Kelzenberg in the red shirt below. And she was feeling a lot more than a bit of excitement. In fact, she looks like someone might need to check on her. Is there a doctor in the school? Because a self-proclaimed "big, brown, bald, tattooed guy" just made her entire year.  

And then he made it even better. "Because we are now best friends and I have so much love for you because you're so awesome, I have a very special gift," Johnson said.

Uh, what could be better than the gift of "best friendship" with The Rock? (which he fully means, by the way. You're in Johnson's orbit — you're now buddies for life). Maybe renting out an entire movie theater — all 232 seats — for Kelzenberg and her friends and family to see his latest film "Rampage" will make up for the fact that The Rock can't make it to the big dance.

And if Kelzenberg was at all sad about him missing her big day? Well, Johnson also bought out all the theater's concessions too. And he posted a special video to thank her for her request on Instagram. (From the gym, of course.)

SURPRISE KATIE KELZENBERG! About a week ago, I come across a video on my Twitter feed, from a student at Stillwater Area High School (oldest high school in Minnesota) asking me if I would be her date to her prom. Unfortunately, I’ll be shooting during that time in Hawaii, BUT I was so impressed by this young lady’s charm and confidence to even ask me (ladies always get shy in front of me) that I had to do something special. I decided to rent out an entire theater (capacity 232 seats) in her town so Katie and her closest 232 friends and family can enjoy a special screening of RAMPAGE. And all the free popcorn, candy and soda high school kids can consume! You’re money’s no good Katie... everything is on Uncle DJ. 🤙🏾🍿 🍭🥤!! And I also taped a special morning message surprising Katie and her high school that will play across the school’s intercom system... literally...RIGHT NOW, Katie should be turning red hearing me surprise her in front of her entire school. I wish I was there in person Katie, to see your reaction to all this, but I’ll hear about for sure and most importantly - you and all your friends have fun at the theater and ENJOY RAMPAGE! Thanks for being an AWESOME FAN and I’m a lucky dude to have fans like you. Uncle DJ 🤟🏾❤️ Ps - the gorilla in Rampage is way smarter (and better looking) than I am, but don’t tell him that because he has a HUGE ego 🦍

A post shared by therock (@therock) on

"This is for a very special young lady," Johnson started enthusiastically before making sure he was pronouncing Kelzenberg's name correctly. "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for inviting me to your prom. I just want to thank a moment to let you know how awesome you are."

This is the kind of positivity we all need in our lives. But you don't have to wait until prom to create it.

In his message, Johnson thanked Kelzenberg for stepping out of her comfort zone to ask him to the big dance. Johnson was so happy he beamed, calling it "the best and coolest part of my job," in a tweet.

And that's the real message here. She took her shot and touched someone in a big way. That kind of positivity is something we should all be working at on a small scale.

So let's take a cue from Kelzenberg and The Rock and make an effort to step outside our comfort zones every day. You never know what good things might happen!

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