A Maritime teacher says she can cross one activity off her bucket list after competing in a special teachers edition of the hit game show Jeopardy!
Maryanne Lewell, a history teacher in Saint John, says she grew up dreaming of competing on Jeopardy!
Last January, she took the adult test online to become a contestant. A few months later, she attended an in-person audition in New York.
“In August, I received a call from the producers in Culver City,” says Lewell. “I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ and they contacted me and I called them back and they invited me to participate in the Teachers Tournament.”
Fifteen teachers were invited to compete in the Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament and Lewell was the only Canadian.
“I have a pretty broad knowledge, that I think we have in Canada, we do that pretty well,” says Lewell.
“But, I had to go and learn America, because there is a lot of American history, there is American politics, presidents, secretaries of the treasure and the states, capitals, nicknames, so, I’ve been studying pretty hard for the past couple of months.”
As for categories, questions and winners, Lewell has to stay tight-lipped on all those details until the show airs next month. Her students say they are looking forward to watching the broadcast.
“I’m excited,” says student Chelsea Roy. “I want to know if she won, that’s really what I’m more excited for.”
“I knew she had auditioned and I felt confident that she would have done well because she is a brilliant teacher,” says student Hannah Ingealls.
Lewell says her experience on Jeopardy! was a dream come true.
“It has been a really interesting process…I’m still in the ‘I can’t believe this just happened’ faze,” says Lewell. “I think that I did pretty well. I think it went OK. I did as well as I would have liked to have played.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Dunbar
