STAGE TUBE: American Idol's Simon Cowell declares Ashley Rodriguez 'has it'

Simon Cowell has declared that contestant Ashley Rodriguez may have that 'it' factor that producers look for in their stars.

Ashley's MySpace page reads: "Even though it's one of the oldest sayings around, Ashley Makailah is a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. "With everything I've experienced, I've gotten to a point where I realize that it has all brought me to this place in my life, and I've never been so sure of myself until now."

Ashley's journey as an artist began at the age of four when she started ballet, jazz and tap lessons. Loving the art of performance, she joined the drama club in high school, took piano, taught herself guitar and sang in the school's chorus to hone her skills as an all-around performer. It was there at Chelsea High School that she was introduced to the City Music program at Berklee College of Music, which eventually awarded her a full four-year tuition scholarship.

During her four years at Berklee, Ashley not only worked to improve herself as a vocalist, but also majored in Music Business Management in order to fully immerse herself in the industry. As a performer, Ashley was offered many incredible opportunities, which included traveling internationally with the gospel group Overjoyed and singing at the Berklee Performance Center with artists such as Philip Bailey, Chaka Kahn, and Berklee alums Lalah Hathaway and Paula Cole.

Since completing her degree in December 2009, Ashley is extremely excited for what the future holds. "My grandparents came here in the 1960s because they believed that they could come from nothing and end up with everything, because that is the American Dream. My mother used to always say to me, ‘Dream big and strive for excellence.' My family has proved to me that nothing is impossible, as long as you believe in yourself and are willing to work hard for it."

American Idol airs at 8/7 central on Fox.