The television murmured through the house as her parents walked in. Inside, their daughter and future Sage Hill librarian, Michalle Gould, watched “Jeopardy!”. Although no one realized Gould’s future in this game at the time, she would go on to play in “Jeopardy” twice and win $20,000.
As a child, Gould had a talent for picking up a wide variety of facts. She was a hardworking and academic-driven student that loved to learn.
“It seemed like it would be really cool to be on ‘Jeopardy!’”, Gould said.
To fulfill her childhood wishes, Gould auditioned for the show for the first time as a teenager. Although she did not pass her written test during that time, Gould would continue to audition three other times.
In the 2010s, Gould auditioned for her second time in Texas. Over the years, she had accumulated a broad expanse of knowledge, and she passed her online test easily. Then, she had an in-person audition in Dallas. For the audition, she played a mock game that the interviewers conducted, and she was placed in the contestant pool. A contestant stays in the pool for 18 months and can be called at any time to participate in “Jeopardy!”. Although Gould was not picked from the contestant pool after this audition and a third one in Los Angeles, she was finally chosen after her fourth application.
Gould taped on Inauguration Day, Jan. 19, 2021, and her show aired in March of the year. As someone who had wanted to be on “Jeopardy!” her whole life, Gould said the taping was nerve-wracking.
“It is scary because you want to do well,” Gould said.
Because Gould was more risk-averse and relied more on knowledge than strategy, she did not play on many of the Daily Doubles, which would have helped her with points, and she did not win her first game of “Jeopardy!”. However, she was later chosen to compete in the Second-Chance Tournament.
“Jeopardy!” hosts a Second-Chance Tournament where contestants that have lost previous games have the chance to compete again. On Sept. 26, 2023, Gould competed against two other contestants and won her game. She then competed in the finals against the other winners of the week, placing second in these finals and winning $20,000.
“It felt pretty good. I was really excited,” Gould said.
With her winnings, Gould plans to take an Amtrak sleeper car from Los Angeles to New York and participate in a week-long camp that specializes in one of her hobbies.
Gould reflects on how “Jeopardy!” played a significant role in her life and society.
“It just shows that there is some kind of value that ‘Jeopardy!’ holds, and there is a reason that people are interested in it. Organizations like ‘Jeopardy!’ are not that common where you feel like there is something that really rewards loving to learn. I think that is what makes ‘Jeopardy!’ hold such a special place in society.”
