Adriana Harmeyer stepped onto the Alex Trebek Stage in early May, marking the beginning of a remarkable 13-day (and counting) winning streak on Jeopardy!. The West Virginia native, a quiz bowler during her high school years at Spring Valley, found that this early passion for trivia paved the way for her current success.
Reflecting on her quiz bowl experience, Harmeyer said, “That was kind of an early chance to try out some of thisβa chance to use all these random facts that I built up.”
After high school, Harmeyer pursued a history degree at Marshall University, graduating in 2010, and later earned a masterβs degree from the University of Michigan. She now works as an archivist at Purdue University in Indiana, where she preserves historic materials and teaches.
A lifelong fan of Jeopardy!, Harmeyer grew up watching the show and even played it on the computer. However, her journey to the showβs California studio was far from easy. Many contestants take the qualifying test multiple times before advancing, and Harmeyer was no exception. She initially auditioned for the teen tournament and continued to take the test several times before finally receiving the call to advance to the next round.
βThis time around, I took the test online just for funβnot expecting it to necessarily lead to anything, but thought it would be fun to do,β Harmeyer shared. βThen, I got the call back to take the official test, I got the callback for the audition and then got the call to be on the show, and it all worked out.β
The road to the podium involved Zoom calls, additional testing, and a mock game against other hopefuls. Traveling to California was another challenge, as it was one of the few states Harmeyer had yet to visit.
βIt was strange: landing at the airport and getting a car and getting to the hotel,β she recalled. βThat might be when it really hit, like, βOh, this is the hotel that Iβm going to stay in, and then, I go to Jeopardy! from here.β Itβs a strange, strange feeling.β
The support from family and friends was expected, but Harmeyer was taken aback by the overwhelming love from strangers.
βI didnβt quite realize until it started airing how many people were gonna be rooting for me,β she said. βThe response Iβve gotten has been so much stronger and more positive than I ever imagined.β
As of Friday, June 14, Harmeyer has amassed $299,000 during her 13-day winning streak. Beyond the monetary gain, she has cherished the overall experience.
βI wanted to do it and have fun with it,β she said. βThe fact that I was able to go and win like I did showed me that I could do that.β
Reflecting on her time on Jeopardy!, she described it as “the ultimate trivia event” and expressed her excitement at being a part of it.
Harmeyer’s success has united people in her West Virginia community, challenging common Appalachian stereotypes about education and ability.
Jeopardy! episodes are filmed in advance, so Harmeyer has returned to her regular life while her episodes air. Watching herself on TV weeks after filming is a unique experience.
βI donβt like watching and listening to myself, but I feel like since everybody else is watching and theyβre gonna talk to me about it, I want to refresh my memory,β she said. βIβve now done enough of them that my memory of recording kind of all blurred together.β
Harmeyer will continue her Jeopardy! journey on Monday, June 17, for day 14, with her community eagerly cheering her on.
Matt Pinner is a dedicated journalist for WVPrepBB.com, specializing in USA and crime news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for uncovering the truth, Matt brings timely and insightful reporting to his readers. His work on WVPrepBB.com keeps the community informed and engaged with the latest developments in national news and criminal justice.
