What happened when you found out you were going to be a contestant?
Well, to try out... I didn't actually tell my parents that I wanted to; I just sort of signed up online. The only thing I asked them was, "Which is closer, Chicago or New York?" My dad told me "Chicago," so I signed up for the Chicago audition. We went down there, and I obviously passed the test. Got to play a mock buzzer game, which I didn't think I was the best at. But, apparently--I'm here, so... I did pretty well. And, when I got the letter, it was in October. They told me that it would be in August, that I would know, so I really didn't know that I was going to make it. I had just finished a cross-country race and I was completely tired out. But my mom told me that the letter was in the mail, and I opened it. I immediately got this burst of energy, and I started running around the house. I wish I'd gotten it before my race, 'cause I would have run a lot better.
What are you most excited about today?
I'm really looking forward to being on the set. It's so cool. Like, no one knows how cool it is! And the Teen setting is a lot better than the normal one, I think, personally. And I'm excited to play the game and play with the buzzers and do Double Jeopardy!s.
If you had a "dream Jeopardy! category," what would it be?
I'd really like a musical category, because I sing, and I've watched so many musicals, I'd love it. My favorite musical is My Fair Lady, but the movie version with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Ten years from now, I think I would like to still be in school, studying everything that I love, including Italian, and medicine, and biology and whatever... else... music!... I would like to help people in some way, such as, finding a cure for some disease, finding medicine, or... singing! If I can work that in, somehow, to everything else.
Do you have a particular role model?
Well, of course my biggest role model are my parents. But, I have this other one. I was in this girl's mentoring program in high school. And my mentor's name is Angela Tyse. She goes to Notre Dame now, you don't know her. Hm? Oh, hi Angela! She goes to Notre Dame now, and, but she was the most amazing person I've ever met. She was the sweetest, and the kindest, and she cared about everyone, and so she's a huge role model to me. |
