Schools

Arroyo High School Student Wows Judges on 'X Factor'

San Lorenzo resident Ellona Santiago, 14, received yeses from all four judges after her first audition on the FOX talent search show's premiere on Sept. 21.

“For a 14-year-old I was really impressed, yes!” said English singer and actress Cheryl Cole about student Ellona Santiago.

Cole, along with X Factor judges Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid and Paula Abdul gave approval of Santiago after her audtion on the talent show's Sept. 21 premiere.

She was one of 15,000 people to audition in Los Angeles during last week's show and is going for $5 million dollars and a recording contract.

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The San Lorenzo local sang Miley Sirus' "When I Look At You," impressing not only the judges but several viewers as well.

As a Filipino-born singer, Santiago has been gaining support on Twitter and Facebook, especially from the Filipino-American community.

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Critics like Billboard.com have even given her praise, calling her a "timid teen with powerful vocals."

Some fans may recognize her from numerous events she has performed throughout the Bay Area such as the musical Amerikana.

According to Santiago's cast biography, she immigrated to the U.S. from the Philipines at 11-months-old. At 4-years-old, she developed a love of dancing, modeling and most notably, singing.

To view her audition on X Factor, watch the video attached to this article. You can also catch some of Santiago's previous performances on her YouTube page.

The next episode of X Factor will air Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. on FOX.


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