She grew up in Nesconset, in downstate New York, earned a Mus.B. in Music Education in 2010 at Fredonia and, in March, achieved her “life dream” of becoming a contestant on “Jeopardy!”
Who is Rachel Niegelberg?
Such an exchange – in the tradition of classic quiz show – could easily strike a chord across the Empire State on Tuesday, May 8, when Ms. Niegelberg goes head-to-head with two contestants in the "Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament." She’s one of 15 public-school teachers from across the country participating in the two-week tournament that begins on Monday, May 7. Contestants are given clues, in the form of an answer, and respond likewise with a question.
Niegelberg is a huge fan of the nationally syndicated program, which airs weeknights on WIVB-TV at 7:30 in the Buffalo market.
“My family would eat dinner watching ‘Jeopardy!’ and ‘Wheel of Fortune’ every night. That tradition never left me and I’ve been watching almost daily ever since,” said Niegelberg, who also has a master’s degree in teaching students with disabilities and works with students with behavioral and emotional disabilities at Watkins Glen Elementary School.
Advancing to the tournament caps a near decade-long effort by Niegelberg to earn a spot on “Jeopardy!” The overall audition process, which she describes as “pretty intense,” begins with an online test consisting of 50 questions. Potential contestants who do “well enough” in the initial level move on to a regional audition.
“Those are a blast,” Niegelberg says of the regionals. There’s a 50-question written test, an interview and a practice game. Everyone at this level is technically eligible to be called as a contestant for the next 18 months.
“Either you hear back from them or you don’t and have to restart the process over again. Out of five online tests I was called to four regional auditions, so I had a pretty good track record before I was ultimately called,” Niegelberg explained. “I knew my time would come one day since I had been auditioning for so long, but I was starting to think that I’d have to redo the process as it had been a while since my audition.”
Teacher Tournament shows were taped at Sony Studios in Los Angeles on March 20 and 21, with five quarterfinals on the first day and three semifinals and the two-day final on the second day. “It was quite a whirlwind!”
Contestants are “sworn to secrecy,” so they can’t reveal the outcome of the shows, according to Niegelberg. She remembers being nervous, yet pretty focused. Genial host Alex Trebek looks the same in real life as he does on high-definition television, and “pretty sassy,” Niegelberg added.
“Once the game got going we had a chance to chat a little bit in between shows.”
Niegelberg’s support crew – boyfriend Dustin James, sister and brother-in-law, Lindsay and Jason Perry, and her parents, Hillary and Eric Niegelberg – was in the studio audience.
“This year’s tournament was a blast to film and I’m sure will be great fun to watch!”
And rewarding, too.
Each tournament teacher receives a $2,500 Farmers Insurance grant to fund a classroom project. Niegelberg plans to use that money to increase sensory and adaptive opportunities in her school for students with disabilities. From there, each quarterfinalist nets $5,000; semifinalists pocket a tidy $10,000. Cash awards soar in the two-day finals: at least $25,000 for the third place finisher, $50,000 for second place and a cool $100,000 for the grand prize winner.
Niegelberg thoroughly enjoyed the “Jeopardy!” experience.
“We all had a lot in common as educators and ‘Jeopardy!’ enthusiasts, and it was fun to compare our professional experiences from across the country. We have remained in touch via social media and continue to play trivia together in various ways!”
Story update: Rachel won that evening and will appear in the tournament semi-finals the week of May 14.
