The long-awaited season finale of America’s Got Talent (AGT) will take place this week on September 13. Over the past few months show contestants with various special skills and talents have vied for the approval and praise of Howie, Simon, Mel B, and Heidi, celebrity guest judges, and thousands of American television viewers. Each week of competition the number of contestants has gradually dwindled, and this Tuesday the last contestant standing will receive one million dollars and the chance to headline a Las Vegas show. Although only one talented competitor will win the show’s grand prize, several other contestants will walk away from America’s Got Talent after achieving personal victories.

During the course of the show many young stars were able to showcase their talents for the first time on a national stage and become household names. YouTube videos of four child prodigies, Laura Bretan (opera singer), Grace Vanderwaal (ukulele player and songwriter), Jayna Brown (singer), and Sofie Dossi (contortionist), have gone viral. The girls have captured the hearts of American viewers and achieved lasting fame.

America’s Got Talent offers great opportunities not only for young raw talent, but also for seasoned performers used to doing their acts in front of small audiences. The Clairvoyants (magicians), Tape Man (artistic mime), and the Throwings (former acrobats) have performed in front of royalty, on the street, and for circus audiences, but AGT has given them the chance to showcase their skills on national television. These contestants have caught the eye of talent agents and most likely will have the chance to participate in a Las Vegas show even if they do not win America’s Got Talent’s top prize.

Unlike other contestants, a few performers have been able to not only achieve personal fame but draw attention to important political issues while on AGT. Musicality is an a-capella group comprised of high school students from one of the worst areas of Chicago. Many members of Musicality have been personally effected by gun violence, an important topic of discussion for many Americans after the recent Dallas and Baton Rouge shootings. 63-year-old Julia Scotti uses comedy not only to make people laugh but help people better understand what is like to be transgender. Gay and transgender rights have been heated topics since the Target bathroom conflict and the Supreme Court’s 14th amendment ruling.

America's Got Talent is more than just a televised talent competition. It is a show full of opportunities. Every contestant may have a slightly different reason for competing, but all of them, including Nick Cannon's 90-year-old golden buzzer recipient, have the desire to "prove that you're never too young or too old to follow your dreams."