Playing on Jeopardy! was a dream come true for Avinash Rajendra. He is a Ph.D. student in engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Rajendra grew up watching the show and had auditioned a few times. He got a call from Jeopardy! producers late last year and played on the Jan. 21 episode, where he was up against the then reigning champion Amy Schneider.
When he got the call from Jeopardy!, Rajendra was excited at the chance to play. "I deliberated for a little bit. And I said yes. Then, you know, a few minutes later it finally hit me. Like wow, I’m actually gonna be going to California and taping the show. It’s actually gonna be happening!"
Before the big day, Rajendra studied topics he wasn't familiar with, like pop culture references or movies, but acknowledged that the game show requires a lifetime's worth of knowledge.
When he arrived on set in California, he was surprised at how long it took to produce the show. According to Rajendra, Jeopardy! tapes five episodes in a day.
Rajendra finished in second place and got to take home $2,000. For someone thinking about auditioning, Rajendra emphasizes having faith in yourself. He also points out not to underestimate the buzzer. "If there's any way to practice the buzzer at the time, do it. That might even be more important than memorizing every single fact that you can find."
Ultimately, Rajendra hopes that others will get to have as much fun as he did. "Think of it as a bucket list item. And go in there, try your best. But also have fun. Don't put too much pressure on yourself if you're called as a contestant."
