'Six Degrees' Contestant: Mark Jaspers

July 19, 2007 — -- A small church in Beulah, N.D., might seem like a strange place to find a star, but Mark Jasper is unusual.

Though he gives his heart and soul to the young people he ministers to there, he has never lost his childhood dream of having a professional music career.

For now, he uses his voice to spread positive messages. But in the future he feels there may be paths that open to him he is not suspecting.

It happened unexpectedly last year when one of the teenagers he works with challenged him to go to a regional tryout for "American Idol." He said he never would have done it on his own, but he tried and finished second.

Though he performance wasn't good enough to get him on the program, it made Jasper realize once again that his talent could still take him places.