ese . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁Ne ely ▁participated ▁in ▁popular ▁singing ▁competition , ▁One ▁Mill ion ▁Star ▁( Se ason ▁ 5 ) ▁as ▁a ▁PK ▁( Player ▁Kill ) ▁ch allen ger . ▁His ▁performances ▁created ▁sens ations ▁after ▁receiving ▁full ▁marks ▁of ▁ 2 5 ▁points ▁on ▁three ▁occasions , ▁and ▁also ▁being ▁the ▁first ▁in ▁the ▁reality ▁show ' s ▁history ▁to ▁score ▁a ▁record ▁ 3 3 ▁out ▁of ▁ 2 5 ▁points . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁Ne ely ▁double - major ed ▁in ▁psych ology ▁and ▁theatre ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁San ▁Diego ▁( UC SD ). ▁He ▁is ▁b iling ual ▁in ▁English ▁and ▁Mand arin ▁Chinese . ▁Ne ely ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Bay ▁Area ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁sub urb , ▁Mill bra e , ▁California . ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁Bur ling ame ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁Career ▁Ne ely ▁performed ▁H s iao ▁Hu ang - chi ' s ▁" You ▁Are ▁My ▁E yes " ▁( 你 是 我 的 <0xE7> <0x9C> <0xBC> ) ▁during ▁his ▁first ▁performance ▁in ▁One ▁Mill ion ▁Star . ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁really ▁understand ▁the ▁meaning ▁behind ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁of ▁the ▁song , ▁but ▁was ▁touched ▁by ▁the ▁mel ody ▁and ▁performed ▁it ▁according ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁feelings . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁jud ges ▁of ▁the ▁competition , ▁Phil ▁Ch ang , ▁was ▁greatly ▁touched ▁by ▁the ▁performance , ▁and