Yakking with Diana Degarmo: singer is a senior sensation.(Biography)

What a difference a year makes. Especially if you're "American Idol" contestant Diana DeGarmo. At this time last year, Diana was a high school student with big dreams. But this fall, she's heading back to school a singing star and millions of people know her name.

Diana, who finished second in the "American Idol" competition to Fantasia Barrino last May, has been on the go ever since. In June, she finished her junior year and celebrated her 17th birthday. And in the same month, she released her first single, "Dreams," a song she sang on the televised talent show.

We yakked with Diana by phone from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she was on tour with the third season finalists. The tour is just wrapping up and Diana hopes to be back at school in Snellville, Georgia, in October.

Balancing a busy music career and all the activities of her senior year won't be easy, but Diana is looking forward to the challenge. She says she's really school spirited and loves to attend every sporting event to cheer on her school teams at Shiloh High School. "I'm like a cheerleader, minus the jumping around," says Diana. In fact, Diana says she tried out for the cheerleading squad in eighth grade and didn't make the team. There was a mix-up in a teacher's grade for Diana and she wasn't allowed on the team. Her grades were fine, but she decided not to cheer after the mix-up was discovered. Don't feel bad, though, it all worked out for the best. "I have to be careful of my voice," says Diana, so cheering wouldn't have been a good idea.

But from the bleachers, Diana says she can whistle really loud to cheer on her team.

So what kind of kids does Diana hang out with? She's friends with just about everybody. "I have friends from all backgrounds ... cheerleaders and football players, basketball players, baseball players, kids that just come to school and don't do any activities, kids in music ...'

If you watched Diana on "American Idol," that's no surprise, because she just seemed so nice and upbeat week after week. You probably won't be surprised to learn that Diana is a good student, too. She's in the National Honor Society and takes honors classes. She says she's received mostly A's in high school, with a couple of B's. She told us she earned her very first C in Algebra II last spring. The demanding final weeks of "American Idol" kept her from focusing on her homework. Although the C was disappointing, Diana did her best to maintain her high grades and give her very best in ...