Tuesday, December 05, 2006
UWGB student wins $122,000 on game show
It's good to see someone from UW-Green Bay is winning these days. Now let's hope our men's basketball team can catch the winning fever.
It was “Wheel of Fortune” indeed for Kari Merchant — two trips and $122,650.
That’s what she won on the popular syndicated TV game show that aired tonight on WLUK, Channel 11.
“I did the typical scream, jump up and down, hug Pat,” Merchant said today. Pat Sajak is the game show host.
The 22-year-old University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student from Sturgeon Bay still doesn’t quite know how to grasp her winnings. She will take the trips, one to the Maui Film Festival in Hawaii and one to Greece. But she hasn’t figured out how to time them yet.
“I don’t know how I’m going to do that, but, I mean, I’ve got to — Greece,” she said.
Then there’s the money. Federal and state taxes will take big bites, but what’s left will be more than pocket change.
“I guess I’m going to have to invest it because I don’t need that much money right now,” Merchant said.
“I think I might get a new car, though. Maybe. Give my brother my old one. Give my sister and my mom a little bit of money.”
The experience has been a drawn-out one for Merchant. She tried out in October 2005 at ShopKo Hall in Ashwaubenon. At the time, she was supposed to be on bed rest after a scare with spinal meningitis put her in the hospital and forced her to withdraw from UWGB for a semester.
A year passed after the audition. Merchant was disappointed. Then she got the call to show up for a taping in Culver City, Calif., in the middle of October.
“I was happy before I even went to the bonus round,” Merchant said. “They were trying to coach me in between the final round and the bonus round: ‘Don’t be nervous.’ ‘Nervous? I don’t care if I win the bonus round. I just got $20,000. I’m fine now. I can go home.’”
When her bonus of $100,000 was revealed by Sajak, Merchant screamed.
“I couldn’t believe that that just happened,” she said.
Excitement exploded as confetti fell and friends ran onto the stage.
Merchant wasn’t allowed to tell anyone what she won, so she is relieved the secret is out.
“I held it in for a month and a half,” she said.
Labels: UWGB
