Travis Orlando, 'American Idol' Castoff, Decides To Finish High School

We all strive to pursue our dreams, but don't always realize how important an education can be in getting us there. This is all too true for 17-year-old Travis Orlando. A homeless high-school dropout who was faced with his father's heart condition and his mother's abandonment, Orlando went on a mission to pursue his music career. After being voted off American Idol for the second time, Orlando took a bold step towards creating a better future for himself.

In his final Idol interview, Travis was touched by the words of the camerawoman, who said "You have lost so much. You don't want to lose even more by not finishing school." Orlando, 17, has since enrolled at the Adult Learning Center at Lehman College in the Bronx, where he will be able to earn his GED. He hopes to make his mom proud and do something positive with his life by finishing up his education.

And Orlando's not the first Idol contestant to step out of the spotlight in pursuit of something else. David Archuleta, runner-up of season seven, announced in December that he would be taking a two-year music hiatus to go on a Mormon mission.