A senior University of Wisconsin student majoring in neurobiology, this contestant is from Holmen plays the flute, is going to medical school and is proud to call herself a Badger.
Who is Suchita Shah?
After undergoing what she called “grueling tryouts,” senior Suchita Shah, a Badger Herald columnist, was selected to compete for UW Friday and Saturday at the filming of the “Jeopardy! 2008 College Championship” at the Kohl Center.
Shah was one of 14 contestants selected from around the country to put their knowledge to the test in hopes of winning a grand prize of $100,000. She was guaranteed a prize of $5,000 for making it on the show. But more importantly, she said her appearance fulfills a childhood dream.
According to Shah, in addition to testing the applicants’ knowledge in areas like history, pop culture and science, the selection committee also puts students’ characters to the test.
“We underwent a personality interview because they wanted to see if we could perform in front of an audience,” Shah said. “They wanted to see if we were ‘fun to watch.'”
Shah, who wore a red “Wisconsin” sweatshirt during the competition, said she turned down an opportunity to attend Harvard as an undergraduate because she loves UW and life as an active Badger.
One of the activities Shah said she enjoys most is showing off the university as a campus tour guide.
In fact, Shah said she was about to lead prospective students around campus when she found out she had won a spot on “Jeopardy!”
“I was waiting for my tour group when I heard someone yell my name,” recalled Shah, who said she thought it was her tour group approaching.
“I turned around and there was a camera crew and Kelly Miyahara (“Jeopardy!” clue host) carrying balloons past the engineering fountain,” Shah said.
Shah joked she is certain the tour group will never forget their first impression of UW as a place where students are swarmed with cameras and surprised with bouquets of balloons.
As a neurobiology major, Shah will graduate in May and is guaranteed a spot in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. She is applying to other schools but added she would be ecstatic to study medicine at UW.
“I would love to spend four more years in Madison; it’s a great place,” Shah said. “I feel like I am just getting completely comfortable with the area and so I know it will be very hard if I end up leaving.”
Shah said she hoped for a home court advantage on “Jeopardy!”, since the show was filmed in the Kohl Center.
Shah said Sunday that she is ready to rest after a long but exciting competition. She added her “Jeopardy!” appearance was a “lot of fun and an amazing experience.”
“The other contestants were great and really supportive of each other,” Shah said. “We were all just playing out of our love for the game.”
