Martha's Vineyard seasonal resident Sonika Vaid is keeping her American Idol hopes alive after narrowly making it through to the next round of the singing competition.

Ms. Vaid, 20, began this week as one of the eight finalists in the final season of the show. Two contestants were eliminated this week during a live show Thursday. The top five were voted in by viewers, with a sixth finalist chosen chosen by the judges to move on.

Ms. Vaid was in the bottom three as determined by voters. After performing I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston and earning praise from judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr., she was chosen to continue on in the competition.

A college student who graduated from Weston High School, Ms. Vaid and her family live part-time on the Vineyard. According to town assessor records, the family owns a home in Vineyard Haven.