Covais was a junior at Island Trees High School during his "Idol" run; he graduated at the end of the 2006-07 school year. He is a former student of Island Trees Middle School. He is a member of the Drama Club and has played the lead in several school plays including "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "Godspell" and "Guys and Dolls;" he is also a member of the Metropolitan Youth Chorale and the National Honor Society. In the 2005-06 school year, he won the lead in the school's musical, "Anything Goes" but had to leave for "American Idol". He also won some competitions outside of school, such as Eisenhower Park's Reach for the Stars in 2003. He is also a fan of the New York Yankees, the New York Knicks and the New York Jets.