Kriss Mincey is a relative newcomer to the music scene.

At Aberdeen High School, Mincey—who grew up in Baltimore, Richmond and points in between—took up dance and came out of her shell. 

She never returned to that shell.

It was in College Park where she really began to explore music. As a student at the University of Maryland, Mincey found her niche.

Now, Mincey, 22, is on the world's stage as a contestant on American Idol. She's made it to Hollywood. Beyond that, she can't say much.

She chatted with Patch during a visit at Aberdeen High, where she and her sister, Lydia, gave us a tour and a look back at her time as an Eagle. She even ran into two of her favorite teachers from her days in the Science and Math Academy at Aberdeen.

» Check out the video with this post, produced by Nick Dimarco.

The male competitors were on air Wednesday, performing in groups to advance to solo competition. The women reportedly will compete in groups next week, though timelines for the show are purposely hush-hush.

If you're looking for more on Kriss, check out her Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages.

TELL US: Have you seen Kriss on TV or YouTube? What are your thoughts? Are you rooting for her this season? Leave a comment.