Each contestant had something they were known for: Melinda for her voice, Blake for his originality, and Sanjaya for being himself. What do you think voters saw in you that made them vote for you?
I don’t know… It’s cool to have different story lines, and that’s what makes this show so great -- everybody is so different. I tried to top myself every week, and I guess I just stayed the same. I’m just a quirky 17-year-old -- I guess people just started to see that.

When did you first realize you could win?
I felt like I could win, I guess, at Top 12. Your chances improve as you keep going through the competition, and it’s better than one out of 15,000 at the Key Arena. So when I got to the top 12 I was like, “Hey, I have a one in twelve chance of winning.” It turned out pretty well.

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