American Idol Dreams: Will Waukesha Native Go to Hollywood?

Stephanie Schimel’s hoping for a second chance at being an American Idol.

The Class of 2010 Waukesha West High School graduate made it to Hollywood on Season 10. And she was eliminated in the first round.

“The best advice I have even been given is to not give up and just keep going with something you want to do,” Schimel said in her Season 10 Road to Hollywood video. “Even if it takes a long time, I still think you can succeed in something you really want to do.”

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Schimel told Waukesha Patch she’s been singing for “as long as I can remember.” She taught herself to play the guitar in middle school and the ukulele in high school.

Schimel, who now lives in Tennessee, can’t say whether or not she will make it past judges Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban. But she does know she’ll be on the highlight reel when the episode airs at 7 p.m. Thursday on Fox. But she's sworn to secrecy on what she performed.

“I can’t tell you, but it is going to be good,” said Schimel.

New season, new judges, new challenge

Things are different this time around. She’s been through the auditions before – and then-judges Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Jackson loved her.

“It is different now, being Season 12,” Schimel said. “You will see when they show me on TV that not all the judges fell in love with me.”

One of the judges told her she has a “pretty voice, pretty face, but it doesn’t look like I have it,” Schimel said.

Schimel is joining a friend’s family to watch the Chicago auditions episode Thursday night in Tennessee. While the outcome isn’t going to be a surprise, she’s eager to watch.

“I am so excited to see it,” Schimel said. “I have made so many friends since the first audition back in July. … I am excited to see my friends and root them on, too.”