Kaitlyn Jackson, left, at the “American Idol” season 13 group round.

Kaitlyn Jackson has put her moment in the national eye to very good and wise use.

The 16-year-old from Norwich, N.Y., had just finished presenting her program “Dream Big” to a big room full of kids, Jackson says during a phone conversation Friday morning.

“I’m basically a motivational speaker,” says the teen. She talks about discovering goals. She sings her songs. And the children listen. Earlier this year, after all, Jackson successfully auditioned for one of the coveted Golden Tickets to participate in the Hollywood round of FOX singing competition “American Idol.”

Jackson’s original song about her grandfather, “Another Angel,” won over judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr.

This stirred a huge volley of friendship and follows that radiated out of her hometown in upstate New York’s Chenango County and onto her Facebook Journeys page.

The numbers climbed along with the tension as Jackson successfully made it past the infamous group night and then another round before being cut as the judges were selecting the final 30.

FOX never showed her singing another note after that audition. She knew what had happened, of course, as did her parents and a few other family members and friends who had made the trip with her to Hollywood.

But they didn’t know what would be on TV. They did know they weren’t allowed to tell anybody what had happened until the taped episodes had been broadcast.

Jackson says she learned a lot out west. She thought her best performance of all came in the group round.

“I was proud of myself,” she says.

She says she was “cut in bulk” from the show in a manner that also wasn’t shown on TV. They split the contestants into three rooms. Two rooms of singers made it. Those in the third room were told by the three judges they were going home.

“I was in the ‘no’ room,” she says. “They said something like, I hope all of you try out again.”

Kaitlyn Jackson has her own site, and promo shots. (From kaitlynjacksonmusic.com)

In trying to figure out why she didn’t make the top 30, Jackson says, she comes back to her age. She turned 16 the day the show in which she did not make the top 30 was broadcast.

“Jennifer Lopez in particular wasn’t fond of such young people,” Jackson says.

She says she tried to remain on an even keel in Hollywood.

“I kind of just tried to be a nice person about it,” she says. “I guess I didn’t have enough drama.”

With her mom Terri there to chaperone, Jackson says, she didn’t get to hang around that much with other contestants outside the competition.

She says her best friend in Hollywood were Jillian Jensen, who made it to the 30 but was eliminated without her performance being shown, and Sabrina Lentini, a 16-year-old she sang with in the group competition.

She says he’s not watching this AI season 13 as closely as she first expected she would because school and singing are keeping her busy.

Her rooting interest may lie with Alex Preston, though, because he likes his voice, and he’s dating her friend Jensen, too.

“Caleb (Johnson) has been killing it, too,” Jackson says. “It’s anybody’s game.”

Jackson says she’s glad she was part of the contest.

“It was crazy,” she says of the experience. “I always imagined what it would be like, but you never really understand until it’s happening to you. It really is surprising. It’s very high-pressured. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

As spring descends upon her hometown, Jackson will continue with her “Dream Big” program. When she got back from Hollywood, a sixth-grade teacher in her school asked if she’s talk to her students about the experience. “Other teachers heard about it, and they wanted me to talk to their class, too,” she says. In fact, she presents the program to schools’ whole student bodies.

And she’s also preparing a trip to Nashville to record her second country music album. Jackson is writing songs and getting a band together.

She may meet in Music City again with Cassidy Lynn Alexander, a singer who also grew up in Chenango County before moving to Nashville to work on her music and get a degree at Belmont University.

Auditions for “American Idol” season 14 will come quickly, too, this summer.

Will she try again?

“If I have time to audition, I would love to,” Jackson says.

Here’s the link to kaitlynjacksonmusic.com, the source for the two photos above.

Do you think singing competition shows help young people advance their careers? Do you have a favorite on “American Idol” this season?