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A new scholarship program gives young artists the chance to follow their passions.

It's a bold new way to reward all kinds of talent.

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Taco Bell Live Más

"While I’m dancing it’s just different. I feel like I want to use a word that I don’t know yet. It’s the most myself I ever feel."

A new scholarship program gives young people the chance to follow their passions.

Posted by Upworthy on Thursday, October 6, 2016

For Khorii Tinson, an opportunity to go to university for what she loves is the natural extension of her lifelong passion for dance.

Her dad, Karl, said Khorii knew she wanted to be a dancer before anyone else did. Even when she was very young, she was finding ways to make dance a part of everything they did.

Despite an early dance teacher kicking her out of class for doing cartwheels — and then warning her parents that dance probably wasn’t Khorii’s thing — her love of movement never faded.

Khorii performing as a kid. Image via Live Mas Scholarship/YouTube.

Dance was a constant in Khorii's life when her father had to leave the family for Army deployments overseas. Three times he left for Iraq, with one final tour in Afghanistan. When everything else was uncertain or changing, dance was always a part of Khorii's life. Through the years, she continued to pour her heart into dancing and performing.

For some dancers, the dream of going further in their studies ends after high school — and not for lack of passion. Of the more than 7,000 universities and colleges across America, only about 80 offer accredited dance programs​. Private unaccredited programs exist, but they’re often even more expensive and students who attend them might not be eligible for financial aid.

This is the reality for so many creative youth looking to follow their dreams. There aren’t enough schools with programs for what they want to do. Even if they do find a school they love and get accepted to it, there often aren’t enough scholarships to help them afford to go.

It's a big problem, and one this new scholarship program is trying to fix.

The Live Mas Scholarship is offered exclusively to talented, creative students who want to pursue higher education, but don’t fit the criteria for standard "academic" or "athletic" scholarships.

These students are artists, writers, musicians. They're filmmakers, designers, and activists. They’re powerfully talented dancers like Khorii.

GIF via Live Mas Scholarship/YouTube.

In 2016, the Live Mas scholarship fund awarded 220 scholarships to deserving recipients, ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 each. They promise a one-of-a-kind opportunity for the next generation: one that’s not based on grades or sports. There are no essays, no test scores, no right or wrong answers. There's just talent and a desire to do more with it.

Khorii received a scholarship to attend the prestigious dance program at the University of Texas in Austin.

Image via Live Mas Scholarship/YouTube.

For her, it’s the culmination of a dream and a reminder of who she is.

"When I’m dancing, I know that’s where I want to be and that’s who I am. Whole. I know that things will work out in the end, and I think being optimistic has always helped me. I will find the positive in any situation."

Khorii’s mom, Mina, agrees. "I’ve always had two words for Khorii, whenever she goes to school or she’s on stage: Be brave," she said. "Fight for your dreams fight through your failures, and you’ll survive, and through that, you’ll find your happiness. You’ll find your joy."

Sustainability

A guy planted two potatoes in an Amazon shipping box to prove a point. Mission accomplished.

You should see how many potatoes he got out of this experiment.

The Gardening Channel with James Prigioni/YouTube

Can you grow vegetables in a cardboard box?

In the era of supermarkets and wholesale clubs, growing your own food isn't a necessity for most Americans. But that doesn't mean it's not a good idea to try.

A household garden can be a great way to reduce your grocery bill and increase your intake of nutrient-dense foods. It can also be a good source of exercise and a hobby that gets you outside in the sunshine and fresh air more often. However, not everyone has a yard where they can grow a garden or much outdoor space at all where they live. You can plant things in containers, but that requires some upfront investment in planters.

container garden, growing plants in containers, growing vegetables, homegrown, producePotted plants and herbs can thrive in a container garden.Photo credit: Canva

Or does it? Gardener James Prigioni set out to see if an Amazon shipping box would hold up as a planter for potatoes. He took a basic single-walled Amazon box, lined it with dried leaves to help with moisture retention, added four to five inches of soil (his own homegrown soil he makes), added three dark red seed potatoes, covered them with more soil, added a fertilizer, then watered them.

He also planted a second, smaller Amazon box with two white seed potatoes, following the same steps.

Two weeks later, he had potato plants growing out of the soil. Ten days after that, the boxes were filled with lush plants.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Prigioni explained how to "hill" potato plants when they grow tall enough, which helps encourage more tuber growth and protect the growing potatoes from sunlight. Hilling also helps support the plants as they grow taller so they don't flop over. He also added some mulch to help keep the plants cooler as the summer grew hotter.

After hilling, Prigioni only needed to keep up with watering. Both varieties of potatoes flowered, which let him know the tubers were forming. The red potato leaves developed some pest issues, but not bad enough to need intervention, while the white potato plants were unaffected. "It goes to show how variety selection can make a big difference in the garden," he explained.

The visible plants have to start dying before you harvest potatoes, and Prigioni checked in with the boxes themselves when they got to that point.

vegetable garden, growing potatoes, grow potatoes in a cardboard box, Amazon box, farmingFreshly harvested potatoes are so satisfying.Photo credit: Canva

"I am pleasantly surprised with how well the boxes held up," he said, especially for being single-walled boxes. The smaller box was completely intact, while the larger box had begun to split in one corner but not enough to affect the plants' growth. "This thing was completely free to grow in, so you can't beat that," he pointed out.

Prigioni predicted that the red potatoes grown in the larger box would be more productive. As he cut open the box and pulled potatoes from the larger box, they just kept coming, ultimately yielding several dozen potatoes of various sizes. The smaller box did have a smaller yield, but still impressive just from two potatoes planted in an Amazon box.

People often think they don't have room to grow their own food, which is why Prigioni put these potato boxes on his patio. "A lot of people have an area like this," he said.

"I will never look at cardboard boxes the same," Prigioni added. "There are so many uses for them in the garden and it's just a great free resource we have around, especially if you're ordering stuff from Amazon all the time."

cardboard box, container garden, amazon box, growing vegetables, gardeningDo you see a box or do you see a planter?Photo credit: Canva

People loved watching Prigioni's experiment and shared their own joy—and success—in growing potatoes in a similar fashion:

"I have been growing potatoes in every box I can find for several years now. I have had excellent success. I honestly think potatoes prefer cardboard. And yes, most of my boxes were from Amazon."

"I live in an upstairs apartment with a little deck and I have a container garden with containers on every single stair leading to the deck. I grow potatoes in a laundry basket. It's amazing how much food I can get from this type of garden!! Grateful."

"I literally got up and grabbed the empty boxes by our front door, the potatoes that have started to sprout, and soil i had inside and started my planting at 1am. Lol. I will take them outside today and finish. Thank you James!"

"I grew potatoes and tomatoes on my tiny balcony in Germany (in buckets and cardboard boxes). Now I have a big garden here in America. I so love to grow my own food."

"I grew sweet potatoes in cardboard boxes. It’s so much fun."

Next time you're stuck with an Amazon box that you don't have a use for, consider whether you could use it as a planter for potatoes or some other edible harvest. Gardening doesn't have to be fancy to be effective.

You can find more of gardening experiments on The Gardening Channel with James Prigioni.

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Education & Information

Want to up your storytelling game? Put these 5 elements into every tale you tell.

Storytelling educator Philipp Humm says these five things make every story more interesting.

Photo credit: Canva

Being an engaging storyteller might be simpler than you think.

If there's one thing nearly every human on Earth appreciates, it's a well-told story. Our ancient love of stories is what leads us to read books and watch movies and spin tales around a campfire. A masterfully spun story can capture the attention of every ear in a room, and professional speakers know that one of the best ways to make a powerful impact on others is through storytelling.

Unfortunately, not all of us are skilled in the art of storytelling. Some people seem to have an intuitive sense of what to include and what to exclude to make a story shine, but others do not. A meandering, confusing way of telling a story can ruin a perfectly good tale, while excellent storytelling skills can make even seemingly mundane events engaging.

stories, storytelling, elements of a good story, how to tell better stories, engaging storiesStorytelling is an art that we can all get better at.Photo credit: Canva

So how do master storytellers do it? What are the elements of a good story? Bestselling author, speaker, and coach Philipp Humm teaches people the art of storytelling and he shares five key things that make every story better.

First, Humm explains that the goal of a good story is to "zoom" the listener into the moment of the story and put them directly into the action. Then he shares the five elements that help you do that without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

1. Location (Where are you?)

"Two weeks ago, I'm sitting on my couch in my living room taking a deep breath…"

"September 2019, I'm standing in front of the conference room ready to walk inside…"

As Humm shares, the moment you say "living room" or "conference room," your audience starts to visualize it. Importantly, you don't have to describe these locations. Let people create their own version of the place. Details that don't matter to the story itself don't need to be shared.

where are you, location, setting, storytelling, storiesWhere Are You Cordell Walker GIF by Sony Pictures TelevisionGiphy

2. Actions (What are you doing?)

Leave out the extraneous context or details and simply state what you are doing in that moment. Walking? Biking? Shouting? Waiting? "Whatever it is, just state the actions," Humm says. "State the verbs."

Example: "I'm in my office, I open my laptop and start reading a message by my manager…"

Stating the actions brings in forward momentum, Humm says, bringing the listener right into the moment. "When you do that, your audience will immediately know you won't waste their time. You're straightaway taking them into the most important part of the story.

what are you doing, setting, action, storytelling, expositionSchitts Creek Wtf GIF by CBCGiphy

3. Thoughts (What are you thinking?)

Sharing the specific thoughts you were having at the crucial moment in the story can help bring a listener into your inner world, adding another layer of interest to the story. Instead of "I was excited to see my crush," try sharing the actual thoughts you were having—"I thought, 'Ah, this will be so cool to see her after all this time.'"

"It's a tiny tweak, but it makes any story more interesting," Humm says. However, he says, make sure the thoughts you share are worded the way you really would think them. The goal is to personalize the experience for people, not to sound professional or intellectual. "Give us the raw, unfiltered thoughts" he says. They will make your story more relatable.

what are you thinking, what, thoughts, storytelling, storiesJaz Sinclair Gen V GIF by Amazon Prime VideoGiphy

4. Emotions (What are you feeling?)

"The best stories? They're emotional," says Humm. "They take the listeners on this emotional journey." You can simply state the feeling—I was excited. I was disappointed. I was angry. But if we want to paint a picture for our audience, we need to show the emotions. For instance, instead of "I was relieved," you can describe how relief felt in your body. "I leaned back on the sofa and let out a huge sigh." Instead of "I was super excited," you might say, "My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest." Showing emotion this way makes the story much more visual.

how do you feel, feelings, emotions, storytelling, thoughts, storiesWhat Do You Think Schitts Creek GIF by CBCGiphy

5. Dialogue (What are you hearing?)

Many stories have more than one character. What did they say at the crucial moment of the story? You can show emotion with body language, and you can also show it with dialogue. Of course, you want the dialogue to actually be catchy and concise, not boring, so don't include dialogue just to include it. Share the things that made the moment what it was.

"Dialogue is such a simple tool to make any story much more interesting," Humm says. "It is actually the tool that I use the most."

what did you hear, hearing, thoughts, conversation, dialogueSeason 3 Episode 6 GIF by Parks and RecreationGiphy

People who struggle to tell stories well are sharing their appreciation for Humm's mini-lesson:

"I thought this was just a clickbait title, but bro over-delivered 1001% value. Absolutely brilliant, actionable insights!"

"Thank you! Thank you so much! I've been saying it. Big creators will tell you to use storytelling and confuse you on what storytelling is. This video is literally the easiest video any beginner will understand, without pressure too! Thank you once again."

"This is so freaking good! I’m sharing this with some of my coworkers who coach TED speakers so they can share how to better tell their stories. We’re often saying these things, but it’s so well said here!!!"

"This is one of the best breakdowns of storytelling I've seen! The five techniques—location, actions, thoughts, emotions, and dialogue—are so simple yet powerful. I especially loved the point about 'zooming into the moment' instead of just summarizing events. Definitely going to use these tips in my own storytelling!"

stories, storytelling, elements of a good story, how to tell better stories, engagement Storytelling skills can come in handy both professionally and personally.Photo credit: Canva

And some even made their praise into…you guessed it…a Humm-inspired story:

"Abe sat in the cafe, sitting hunched back in his chair as he listened to the intro of this video. In that moment he thought to himself, 'THIS is why my youtube videos are flopping... How the heck did I not know this stuff?! WTF?! This is GREAT!'... He quickly changed his posture, moving to the edge of his chair, and sitting upright. He scrambled to close his YouTube Analytics and quickly opened google docs to take notes. He sat there, staring intensely at his computer screen, all he could think was, 'I'm so lucky to find this video.'"

"I was lying on my bed, feeling sleepy but not quite ready to sleep, so I started browsing YouTube. Suddenly, a video caught my eye. I thought to myself, 'Great, another boring video to help me fall asleep.' I clicked on it, expecting to drift off. But as I watched, I found myself becoming less sleepy and sitting up in my bed. It was like discovering a whole new world. I never imagined I'd have such an Aha moment tonight."

"As I sat on my couch and scrolled on my YouTube home feed, I saw the title of this video. I thought 'great, another promise on getting better at storytelling that will likely simply focus on why storytelling is important.' After all, every single book I’ve read on the matter so far has disappointed me in this way. Imagine my surprise when as I kept watching, I felt the eyes in my mind clearing up, catching more light, the light of insight. This video over delivered, and for that, I am grateful."

You can follow Philipp Humm on YouTube for more storytelling tips.

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communication
Joy

CEO shares 5 things he's 'sick' of hearing from his staff and people are applauding him for it

"People are sick of being treated like children."

via Rob Dance (used with permission).

CEO Rob Dance holds a list of things he's "sick" of hearing from his employees.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted workplaces worldwide, there has been a greater push for improved work-life balance and many companies are taking notice. The exciting thing is that when companies become more flexible, their employees become happier and more productive. It’s a win-win for all involved.

Rob Dance, the CEO of ROCK, a technology consulting company in the UK, recently went viral for posting about his approach to work-life balance on Instagram. What, at first, appeared to be a CEO reprimanding his employees revealed a boss who knows how to get the best out of his team by treating them like adults.

The post was of Dance holding a whiteboard that reads:

Things I’m sick of hearing from my employees:

- Can I leave early today

- I’ll be late in the morning

- My child is sick, can I rush off

- I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, is that okay

- I’m going to be late back from lunch, I’ve got some things to sort.

I don’t care.

I hired you for a job and I fully TRUST you to get it done.

I don’t need you to account for every single hour.

Times have changed, and the workplace is different these days.

People are sick of being treated like children.

All that should matter is that everyone is happy, and that the work gets done.


He also shared his advice for companies on how to treat their employees. “Treat your staff like adults. That’s it, that’s the big secret,” he wrote. “Give them autonomy. Respect that they have lives outside of work. Don’t gaslight them into being grateful for not being fired every day.” Because in the end, the only thing that matters is if they get the job done. “Output should always trump hours,” he concluded.

Upworthy contacted Dance, who explained why managers still hesitate to treat their employees like adults.

“Many bosses don't trust their employees and keep extremely close tabs on them because of past experiences and a desire for control. They might believe that micromanaging ensures productivity and prevents issues,” he told Upworthy. “Additionally, the pressure to meet business targets can drive bosses to monitor employees obsessively, thinking it will lead to better outcomes. This approach, however, only undermines trust and destroys morale in the workplace. It creates a toxic environment where employees feel undervalued and stressed, leading to higher turnover rates and decreased overall performance. Instead of fostering a culture of accountability and growth, this behavior only promotes fear and resentment.”


Dance says that technology has helped drive demand for improved work-life balance.

“Mobile technology definitely started to blur the lines between one’s professional and personal life, making it tough to switch off from work,” he told Upworthy. “As a millennial leader, I've always valued work-life harmony for my staff, helping them to achieve both flexibility and finding purpose in their work.”

The ROCK CEO also has advice for employees who’d like to gain their employer’s trust.

“Always deliver quality work and aim to meet or exceed expectations. Keep communication lines open by regularly updating your manager on your progress, challenges, and successes,” he told Upworthy. “Take the initiative to go beyond basic requirements, showing your willingness to contribute more. Act with integrity by always being honest and ethical. Seek honest feedback and make tangible improvements based on it, demonstrating your commitment to growth. Finally, a big one is building positive relationships with everyone you work with, as strong connections are what help to build real trust.”

In April 2025, Dance shared some additional wisdom that highlights the power of leaders prioritizing culture. He took a photo of himself holding a whiteboard with some more wisdom that all CEOs should take to heart: "An employee who leaves for the salary might return for the culture, but if they leave because of the culture, no salary will ever bring them back."

It makes you wonder, if the money was right, which previous jobs would you go back to, and which ones would you reject?


rob dance, work-life balance, ROCK UK, bosess, pto, time off, employee complaintsCEO Rob Dance holds up a whipe board with his culture philosophy. www.linkedin.com


This article originally appeared last year.

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Joy

Dad in his 50s impresses the masses in adorable dance battle with his teen daughter

The video has been viewed over 14 million times.

Dance Dad TV/YouTube

The Starkeys' epic dance battle.

It may be hard to remember now, but back in March of 2020, the world underwent a startling shift. People were asked to stay at home to keep the virus from spreading out of control. We made masks. We sanitized our groceries. Concern and uncertainty permeated our daily existence as news reports of outbreaks and full ICUs became more and more prevalent. Words like "lockdown" and "quarantine" and "super-spreader" and "PPE" became part of our collective vernacular.

That was a difficult time, but as humans do, we tried to make the most of it. Being stuck at home meant more time with our families. Not being able to go out to a show or concert or get together with friends meant all of our entertainment had to happen in our houses. That's how one dad-daughter duo ended up with a viral dance battle that hit the internet at just the right time.

Season 3 Dancing GIF by Party DownGiphy

Chris Starkey posted a video to Facebook on March 23, 2020, of himself and his daughter Brooklyn doing a dance-off to Flo Rida's "Low"—and it's unexpectedly awesome. Starkey wrote, "My daughter challenged me to a dance off and said I don't have it anymore. See that closet in the back she is still crying in it!!!" So much silly shade thrown around in this family, it's delightful.

When you see their fun banter and Starkey's middle-aged-man moves, you'll see why the video was shared more than 280,000 times in two days and has racked up over 14 million views since. Starkey wrote in a comment that the reaction brought tears to his eyes and encouraged everyone to "Give back to your community." This kind of levity and sense of community was definitely needed in that moment, but it still delights even now.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

People greatly appreciated getting dose of unbridled joy.

"Thank you guys soooo much i am crying right now because it felt so good to laugh and smile....thank you sooo much!!!!!" wrote on commenter.

"This seriously made my day," wrote another.

Starkey asked people to vote for who they think won the battle, and the results were split, though Dad had a whole lot of fans rooting for him.

"Dad gets my vote!!!"

"Dad!!! winner winner chicken dinner."

music video happy dance GIF by Apple MusicGiphy

"DAD totally wins!!"

"You still got it dude!"

"Truth be told I had the sound off, but would have to say DAD wins this one strictly due to facial expressions. Both dancers were equally as good in my eyes. On a side note, quarantine looks like it isn't so bad when you have a HOUSE instead of a TINY NYC ONE-BEDROOM."

"Daddy’s got the moves!!! Great job having fun together!!!""

Since 2020, life hasn't exactly gone back to the way it was, but normalcy has returned to most of our day-to-day lives. For Starkey, life has added a grandbaby, but if you think Dance Dad wasn't going to become Dance Grandad, you couldn't be more wrong.

Check this out—the old man's still got it:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Families that can have fun and laugh together are a gift. Here's to the dads, daughters, grandpas, uncles, aunts, and everyone else who don't take themselves too seriously and aren't afraid to let loose to bring a little unexpected joy to themselves and others.

You can follow Dance Dad TV on YouTube and find more from Chris Starkey on his website.

This article originally appeared five years ago. It has been updated.

family
Fatherhood

Boomer dad plays song to comfort his daughter going through divorce and it's everything

Sometimes you don't need words.

@jac.rsoe8/TikTok

Some dads just get it.

There’s no shortage of stories out there showing how emotionally distant or out of touch some baby boomers can be. Younger generations are so fed up with it that they have their own catchphrase of frustration, for crying out loud. The disconnect becomes especially visible in parenting styles. Boomers, who grew up with starkly different views on empathy, trauma, and seeking help, have a reputation for being less than ideal support systems for their children when it comes to emotional issues.

But even if they often have a different way of showing it, boomer parents of course have a lot of love for their children, and many try their best to be a source of comfort when their kid suffers as any good parent would. Occupational therapist Jacqueline (@jac.rose8) recently shared a lovely example of this by posting a video of her boomer dad helping her through a divorce in the best way he knew how.

Turns out, it was the perfect thing.

boomers, boomer couple, parents, boomer parents, adult kidsSometimes parents do understand.Image via Canva.

“My husband just said he’s divorcing me and my dad came over and I was non-functional in bed,” Jacqueline wrote her video, adding that “...boomer dad didn’t know what to do, so he played his favorite song, the Dua Lipa ‘Rocket Man’ remix 😂”

In the clip, Jacqueline’s dad is faced toward the window describing what he imagines while listening to the song and performing the sweetest dad dance ever. They go back and forth a little bit, but it's clear that her dad just wants to sit with her in the moment, be a little silly, and provide her with some comfort.

Watch:

@jac.rose8

#divorcetok #divorcesucks #divorcesupport #divorcesupportforwomen #divorcesupportsquad #supportivedad #disabilitytiktok

The heartwarming moment served as a great reminder that a lot of words aren’t always necessary.

‘“I am CRYING. This is so precious, he is trying his hardest to be there for you in any capacity. How pure ❤️,” one person wrote.

Another added, “This would instantly make me feel better.”

Even Jacqueline shared in the comments that her dad “didn’t know what to say but he was there and helped me in such a sweet way. He’s the best 🥰”

Proving that he has multiple love languages, Jacqueline later shared that her dad also went out to Home Depot to replace her lightbulbs. Not only that, but her mom also made Jacqueline’s favorite dinner.

@jac.rose8

Replying to @NatCat1738 #divorcetok #divorcesucks #divorcesupport #divorcesupportforwomen #divorcesupportsquad #supportivedad #supportivemom #disabilitytiktok

It can be easy to sometimes focus a little too much on the generational differences between boomers and everyone else, but really, it goes to show that great parents (and great people) exist in every generation. Part of what makes them great is knowing that they don't need to be perfect in order to show up when things are hard. Being there and sharing their love is enough.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

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