SEBASTIAN — Kristen O’Connor calls Sebastian home, but after receiving the nod of approval from the American Idol judges at her audition in Atlanta, Ga., she has her sights set on Hollywood.
O’Connor appeared on Thursday evening’s episode of American Idol, a reality television series known for discovering talented singers across the country.
She received one of 44 golden tickets judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban handed out in the city of Atlanta.
Appearing calm and confident on television, O’Connor belted out a ballad that left the judges seemingly speechless.
“I was nervous that they might tell me ‘no’, but I feel at home when I’m on stage,” O’Connor told VeroNews.com, “But [this] was a judgment, so it was a little different than a performance.”
The golden ticket advances O’Connor to the Hollywood rounds of the show, giving her the chance to compete on stage with other contestants to become the next American Idol.
“I always thought I’d try out for [American Idol]. Music has been my number one dream. I’ve always known that I want to do music for the rest of my life,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor is a graduate of Sebastian River High School and more recently, a graduate of the University of Central Florida nursing school. She currently works as a nurse at Florida Hospital East Orlando.
“When I go to the hospital, I feel like I’m doing something important,” O’Connor said on the show. “To be the light in someone’s day, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Leading up to Thursday’s episode, a very humble O’Connor said she was already feeling the effects of community love and support, from friends, family and even complete strangers.
To summarize the whole experience, O’Connor had a hard time putting her finger on a description. “I don’t know that there is a word to describe all of this; just ‘amazing’.”
