Even though it was a stressful time in my life, I have a lot of good memories from my Idol experience.

My friends are mostly familiar with music that plays on the mainstream radio.

I always had an idea for what I wanted to do in the future and throughout my career. This wasn't, like, me figuring out what to do after Idol. I've always known the steps in what I had to do to get where I was.

A lot of people who wanted to audition for Idol have asked me: “What should I do?” or “How to I prepare myself?” I always told them: “Just go in and believe in yourself.”

Even though it was a stressful time in my life, I have a lot of good memories from my Idol experience.

I used to have hair so long, my nickname was Pocahontas.

I was born in America, but I consider myself a Filipino.