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Mamaroneck 13-year-old Carly Rose Sonenclar went all the way to the end on the Fox TV talent show X Factor.
She ended her eight-week run of high praise and top seedings with a second-place finish on the show's final night in late December.
Tate Stevens, a country singer from Belton, Mo., won the competition and the recording contract, based on 35 million phone and online votes.
The Rye Neck middle-schooler may not have walked off with the $5 million recording contract awarded to the winner, but she did get noticed.
X Factor judge Demi Lovato called one of her performances incredible. Simon Cowell, known to audiences as a harsh critic, called Sonenclar "a star in the making," during the run of the show.
Stepinac High School was the site of an X Factor-hosted viewing party, where hundreds of Sonenclar's fans cheered her on while she sang her way into the final round Dec. 20.
"I can’t really explain how that felt,” said Sonenclar of the widespread support she received. “Seeing all my friends and my family with the judges right here, like that was so crazy for me, but it’s just awesome to get that kind of support."
According to Cowell, “thirteen years old, this girl has got such a huge career ahead of her, and we’re really lucky to have found her for this show.”
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