CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Answer: Teagan O' Sullivan.
Question: Who is the Charlotte teenager appearing on Jeopardy!
That's right. The 14-year-old who attends Ardrey Kell High School was one of 15 contestants in the 2019 Teen Tournament.
The winner received $100,000 while the teens in 2nd and 3rd place got $50,000 and $25,000 respectively.
The process to get on the show started back in March 2018 for O’Sullivan.
“I saw that there was an online test,” she said. “I decided to take it just to see how I would do.”
After being called in for an audition in June 2018, O’Sullivan found out she made the cut. Her parents, Michael and Maura, got to tell her the exciting news.
“They were the ones who got the invitation,” she said. “I was very shocked because I did not expect it.”
Maybe she should have. O’Sullivan has been watching games shows like Jeopardy! all her life.
“I would always watch the Game Show Network when I was home sick,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of game shows over the past 14 years.”
O’Sullivan is also no stranger to intellectual competition.
“Throughout middle school, I did History Bee and Quiz Bowl,” she said. “I loved doing them.”
“I’ve been to nationals for both,” she added. “Quiz Bowl, we won state when I was in 7th grade. History Bee, I won the region when I was in 8th grade.”
In December, the whole family, including sisters Ruari and Catherine, went out to Los Angeles for the Jeopardy! taping.
“She set a great example for her younger sisters,” said O’Sullivan’s mom. "We are thankful we were able to share the experience together.”
Meeting host Alex Trebek was quite surreal.
“It’s the person you’ve seen on TV your whole life and then they’re like an actual real person standing in front of you. It was fun. It was great,” she said.
O’Sullivan said the rest of the staff was hospitable as well. Her parents agreed.
“The producers of the show created a welcoming environment that lifted the pressure off the teens and enabled them to enjoy the experience,” her mom said. “The entire Jeopardy! team couldn’t have been more gracious.”
On Monday, O’Sullivan faced off against Stephanie Pierson, a junior from Macon, Ga., and Ryan Presler, an 8th grader from Sioux Falls, SD.
Throughout the tournament, whether she wins or loses, she now has 14 new friends.
“We’re all in touch,” she said. “Even though we were only together for two days, we got to know people as much as we could in that short amount of time.”
Mom and Dad couldn’t be more delighted.
“We are proud Teagan believed in herself, pursued a passion, and was rewarded for her effort,” her mom said.
On Monday evening's episode, O’Sullivan became a semi-finalist after winning her quarterfinal with a total of $25,201.
There's no doubt her family and friends will be glued to the TV for her next appearance.
“I think everybody’s excited just to be able to see someone you know on the show that almost everybody’s heard of,” said O’Sullivan.
