I had the greatest time on Broadway and made friends I never expected to make!

The greatest glory never comes from winning, but from rising each time you fall. A person is defined by what he chooses to do with his life, not by what happens to him.

I know that I’ve got big ears and a big forehead and that my hair sticks up. But I’m happy with myself. I’m not necessarily trying to win a beauty pageant here.

No matter what the situation you’re in, if you’re raised in a loving environment, that’s the most important thing.

There are 120 million kids in the world right now who don’t go to school. Who have no education – who have no access to education.

It’s a whole team of people working 24 hours around the clock to make me look like this.

A song is like a smile. If you meet people from another country, even if you don’t speak the same language, you know what a smile means. A song works the same way. Music produces...

I really love live performing!

I have a feeling they are probably mostly ladies,

I went to school for special education. I always assumed when I had the opportunity I would love to try and help kids with disabilities.

There are stars out there who would die to have this much exposure.

If my career detour from special education to singing has done one thing, it has afforded me the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.

Actually, I don ‘ t hate cats, I ‘ m just kind of afraid of them.

I think celebrities have an obligation to the public to not just sing or act.

All the stuff, curtains, fabrics and whatever else is coming, too.

It’s important that I make a difference in some way. It’s not necessarily how I make a difference, but I want to make sure that I do.

While everyone I work with may not share my beliefs, I have been surrounded by nothing but support.

And I don’t think that success can be measured by how many TV shows you’re on.

Heck, it’s just as insulting as when someone like you interviews me and asks a question like that, no matter how you word it. It’s part of the game. You just do it.

I auditioned just for fun.

First of all, I usually don’t watch (the talk shows) and someone else will tell me about them. And, heck, half the time, I think it’s funny.

I got rid of my glasses and they changed my hair. That’s really all they did. They went shopping for me, so the clothes are different too. It wasn’t like Extreme Makeover where I got...

I had a Spanish teacher in high school. I rarely got in trouble in her room because I felt I was disappointing her if I got a bad grade. That had more power over me...

But I was going to be a teacher my entire life, so I wasn’t counting on money to much.

I like to talk. I’m a terrible dancer. I love my hometown. I have freckles and oversized ears. I’m a geeks. I have tried not to hide who I am or what matters to me.

I could have a degree in music and come on the show, and Simon could still say ‘You stink’.

Whether this ride lasts for one year or 10 years, I want to have a home base.

I’d hate to have a job where I had to be rude to people.

I kind of had my life planned out for me. I’d be married at some point, have, you know, 1.5 children, and be a principal possibly one day. But I think that that was kind...

I am never going to sound like Johnny Mathis.

I spent years and years in middle school getting picked on, so I’m kind of used it,

I was on TV for almost sixteen weeks during American Idol. It’s at the point now where it’s old.

…as long as you’re living right, then you don’t have to worry about what people see.

The greatest glory never comes from falling, but from rising each time you fall.

I know this is going to sound cheesy and like I’m trying to be Miss America, but the most important responsibility a celebrity has is to set an example and be a role model.

I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn’t raised that way, and I’m not going to raise a child to do that.

I’m gonna do my best to try to be in this seat on Sunday night myself.

My mother taught me that we all have the power to achieve our dreams. What I lacked was the courage.

I’d never take a job where I had to do something that I didn’t want to do.

Actually, I dont hate cats, Im just kind of afraid of them.

Well, fortunately we found out that the runner-up our particular year was going to get a record contract also. So it was kind of a – it was bitter sweet but it was an opportunity.

I mean, that’s kind of what this business is about in some ways. You’re trying to make everybody like you. But you can’t do that. You can’t force everybody – anybody to like you if...

And I think that when I finally decided to let go and let God and allow that to happen, I became a lot more successful than I could have done if I had planned it...

I had a lady who sent me a letter, … She went on to describe how she and her husband [had sex] to videos of me on the show. [And] last night I had a...

In my ideal world, no child would suffer. Charitable instincts would prevail. There would be global acceptance of all different types of people.

I’m being trained to shake the bon-bon appropriately.

They formed themselves while I was on the show, and have grown in strength and energy ever since, which is nothing but thrilling for us.

It doesn’t really matter to me how I make a difference, I just wanna make sure that I do.

Well, financially it’s a little bit better. But it’s better than than when I was a teacher. But I kind of – it’s allowed me to buy a house. And I’ve been able to help...

I want to make sure that no matter how long I go through this, I don’t fall into the trap of changing and modifying how I do things that aren’t a positive example. I want...