Meet the JMU student who won $15,300 on Wheel of Fortune

On February 3rd, Ronald Terry received a phone call that turned him from being an average college student to a contestant on America’s favorite game, Wheel of Fortune.

A junior Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies major with an Elementary Education minor, Terry has been watching the show faithfully since he was 7 years old. To say that he was prepared is an understatement.

The show was filmed on February 19th and aired April 1st, and we spoke to him about his experience on the show.

What made you want to be on Wheel of Fortune?

Because I had been watching the show for so many years, I was able to solve puzzles rather quickly and would get upset with myself saying I should be on this show, so I decided it won’t hurt to try and fill out an application.

What did you have to do in the audition?

Play a couple of rounds of Wheel of Fortune as if we were on the show and take a 5 minute quiz in which 20 puzzles were partially filled and we had to fill in the blanks and try to solve as many puzzles as we could.

What was the selection process like?

After the 5-minute quiz, they graded them and called about 1/3 of the contestants to stay and a play a more intense version of Wheel. It was also very nerve-racking just because everyone wanted to do well and it’s a lot of pressure to perform well under those given circumstances (limited time, quick responses, enunciating loudly, etc.).

What was it like being on the set of Wheel of Fortune?

Oh my gosh, it was so surreal. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Never in a million years did I think I would be on set of the one and only Sony Studios.

Did anything surprise you, or did you experience something you didn’t expect when going on the show?

I didn’t expect to be at the studio all day as my episode was the very last one to tape for that day.

What was it like meeting Vanna and Pat?

It was such an awesome experience! Vanna was even prettier in person and so kind and sweet, and Pat was very encouraging and funny throughout every episode (I even managed to give him an unexpected hug).

Was it everything you had imagined?

Well I imagined the wheel to be much bigger than it was (and lighter) but it was extremely heavy (and smaller) than it appeared on television.

What was it like watching yourself on TV?

I was very nervous because I had forgotten a lot of what had happened between the rounds and I was kind of scared I was going to have some embarrassing moments.

Did you and your friends have a viewing party?

Yes, I had a viewing party with some of my classmates from my education cohort this semester (Section 2: Evelyn Payne, Lindsey Payne, Kelly Dummler, Chloe Logan).

How did your friends and family react to seeing you on TV?

Everybody was putting me on Snapchat! They were all excited, I had like over 50 Facebook notifications, 50 text messages, and a fair amount of phone calls.

Did you win anything?

Yes, I came in second place (just $250 short of first place); I won $15,300, which includes a trip to Aruba.

Do you think being on the show will open any doors for you?

I hope so! I would love to be a part of the Wheel of Fortune family someday, maybe perhaps even taking Pat’s job at some point.

What did you get out of your experience of being on the show?

I just took away that if you really want to accomplish something then just do it. You never know until you try. I always have this quote at the back of my mind, “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘Im-possible’.”

What was your favorite memory from this experience?

Taking pictures after the episode was done filming; experiencing LA; the amazing people I met (the college contestants), most importantly Liz and Azelina who were my opponents during my episode. We all have developed a bond with each other that will bind us together for a very long time!

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Not only is Ronald Terry now one of the coolest students at JMU, he’s become an inspiration. If you want something, work hard and go for it, you might just be on the set of Wheel of Fortune one day.