Puerto Rican singer Travis Orlando was given a second chance a couple of weeks ago on this season of American Idol, when judges Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler decided to give him a ticket to Hollywood after his rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely".
Unfortunately,the Bronx native was just castoff the show–but the story is not over for this 17-year-old Nuyorican. Although he dropped out of high school last year to focus on his singing career, TMZ has reported that Travis has decided to go back to school to get his GED.
In a heart breaking story during his audition, Travis talked about how his mom had left their family after his first audition on American Idol the year before and what happened afterward when his dad and brother were kicked out of their apartment, with the family now living in a shelter, his dad on dialysis and Travis gone from school. His story made me tear up and I was rooting for the Latino cutie to succeed.
But just because he didn't make it in the show doesn't mean that he won't make it in life. After filming his final interview, a camerawoman's words inspired him to go back to school. According to sources, she said "you don't want to lose even more by not finishing school."
Taking her words to heart, he has enrolled in the Lehman College in the Bronx and will start working on finishing his degree. He's got a nice voice but I wholeheartedly believe that nothing is as important as completing his education. And for that, he has inspired me even more.
What do you think of high school dropout Travis Orlando going back to school?
Image via YouTube
