Jennifer Koch recounts “bucket list” experience
By Juliann Morris
March 9, 2023—Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) librarian Jennifer Koch’s love of Wheel of Fortune dates back to the 1980s, when she would huddle around the TV with her mother and siblings each night to watch the long-running game show and see who could solve the puzzle first.
So when Wheel of Fortune called in December and invited her to compete, it was an easy ‘yes,’ she said.
“It's a bucket list kind of thing,” Koch said. “It was a dream come true for me. I didn't even care what the date was. They called and I was like, ‘Yes, yes, I can come. I will be there.’”
Koch, who works at Chenoweth Elementary School, fulfilled that lifelong dream earlier this year when she played–and won $22,550–on the beloved show.
Koch gathered with family, friends, and colleagues at Dundee Tavern Tuesday night to watch the episode she filmed in January air for the first time. The restaurant put her episode on every TV with the surround sound blaring.
“Even people who didn't know me were cheering,” Koch said. “It was like March Madness for the Wheel of Fortune.”
JOURNEY TO THE WHEEL
Koch’s journey to the Los Angeles-based Wheel of Fortune studio started with an application on the show’s website. She filled it out but didn’t hear anything for more than eight months. In November, she got invited to audition for the show via Zoom.
A few weeks later, she learned she had won a coveted spot to compete and had about three weeks to prepare. Koch immediately downloaded a free Wheel of Fortune app to sharpen her puzzle-solving skills, she said.
“I would practice every single night for about an hour before I went to bed and see how fast I could get the puzzles on the app,” she said. “It was like cramming for a final exam.”
Koch flew to Los Angeles with her husband and children and said seeing the Wheel of Fortune set for the first time was “like a dream.” She received star-treatment, getting her hair and makeup done by professionals. Participants got a chance to practice spinning the wheel–which Koch said was deceptively heavy–and calling out letters.
The show taped six episodes that day, shuffling contestants back and forth between the Wheel of Fortune set and the Jeopardy! set, which served as a holding area.
Wheel of Fortune stars Pat Sajak and Vanna White put her right at ease, she said, and chatted with her about reading, books, and being a librarian.
“They’re icons and just totally down to earth,” Koch said. “The whole thing exceeded all expectations…Just being on the set, it was magical.”
WINNING BIG
Koch’s practice clearly paid off, with the librarian racking up $22,550 in prizes–the most of the three contestants during her episode–before ultimately missing the final bonus round phrase.
Playing in person was a lot harder than playing along from the comfort of her living room, Koch said.
Some phrases came easy to her, like “SYMPHONY CONDUCTOR,” which she said she solved with only three or four letters on the board. Others were more difficult to see quickly and in the moment, she said.
Despite the pressure, Koch said she never felt nervous.
“I was not nervous one bit,” she said. “I was kind of starstruck, and just so excited to be there. I’ve been waiting my whole life to play the Wheel of Fortune.”
ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY
As a lifelong Wheel watcher, Koch said her mother tried to give her “all the advice” once she found out she’d be competing on the show. One of those pieces of advice was to buy the vowels, which Koch said ended up helping her win.
“You know, a lot of people don't buy the vowels because they don't want to spend the money,” Koch said. “But the vowels are very helpful, so that was her best piece of advice.”
On Wednesday, the day after her episode aired, Koch said Chenoweth students rushed up to her cheering and applauding from the minute she walked in the door.
The whole experience is one she’ll never forget, and Koch said she encourages anyone who is interested to apply, just like she did, on the Wheel of Fortune website.
“I read a statistic that about a million people will apply every year, and they interview 10,000, and they choose 600,” Koch said. “So I feel really lucky that I was one of those 600 chosen for this once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Photo credit: Carol Kaelson/Wheel of Fortune®/© 2023 Califon Productions, Inc. ARR.