American Idol semifinalist Aaron Kelly probably has never met any of the 9,000 other students in his school, but he hopes they’ll vote for him when he performs tonight as part of the final Idol group of 12.
Kelly, age 16, takes classes online as a junior in the Midland-based PA Cyber Charter School. His residence is in Sonestown, Pa. small town west of Scranton.
“We’re so proud of Aaron,” said PA Cyber CEO Dr. Nick Trombetta. “He is a genuinely nice person, a good student and an outstanding singer who has sacrificed a lot to chase his dream.”
High-performing young athletes and artists such as Aaron Kelly would find it physically impossible to keep up with demanding practice, training and performance schedules if they had to sit in a traditional school classroom five days a week, said Dr. Trombetta.
Kelly enrolled in PA Cyber as a high school freshman in order to aggressively pursue a career in country music, traveling frequently to places like Nashville and Las Vegas. He mentions cyber school in website videos posted by the American Idol television show.
“I’m actually in cyber school, which is on the computer so it’s at home,” he said in a video. “I’m working so far ahead that I’ll probably be finished pretty soon.”
“This is Aaron’s third year with PA Cyber. I’ve had regular contact with him and his mom. He’s a fine student,” said Bill Haas, Kelly’s instructional supervisor. “Knowing what was ahead of him, Aaron did a significant amount of advance school work in the first part of this year.”
Kelly is part of the semifinal group of six young men and six young women still alive in American Idol competition.
He said part of the reason he’s still in the competition is that the judges like him as a person. “I was raised Southern. I believe in that southern hospitality,” he said. “I’m a very grounded person. I believe you should just respect everybody.”
Kelly’s difficult life story touched viewers as his talent carried him through auditions and Hollywood week with Idol. He was adopted by his aunt after his biological parents could not take care of him and his brother.
Kelly previously won Disney World’s American Idol Experience. At his young age he is a veteran stage performer who counts among his musical influences Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. A high school junior who likes to play soccer, he has a pet parrot and recently took up photography as a hobby.
PA Cyber is Pennsylvania’s largest and most successful cyber charter school providing a free public education to students from age 4 kindergarten through high school senior. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, PA Cyber serves 9,000 students from every part of Pennsylvania.
Source: Communications Coordinator Fred Miller for PA Cyber Charter School, fred.miller@pacyber.org