Here’s how to watch a Penn State senior compete in the ‘Jeopardy!’ 2020 College Championship

Kylie Weaver grew up in a “Jeopardy!”-watching household, but she never thought she would actually get to be on the show, let alone meet Alex Trebek — until now.

Weaver, a senior from McLean, Virginia, studying supply chain and information systems at Penn State, will make an appearance Wednesday on the “Jeopardy!” College Championship, in which students from across the country compete for a $100,000 prize.

The televised event takes place from April 6 to 17, pitting students against each other in groups of three in quarterfinals, semifinals and finals before a winner is announced. Centre County residents can tune in at WATM-TV (ABC) to see how Weaver does.

While the show is known for its obscure questions, the process to becoming a contestant isn’t much easier. Weaver said that after taking a test with questions similar to those that would be asked on air and an in-person interview, she beat out thousands of other applicants and was offered a spot. She then traveled to Culver City, California, during the first week in February, where the tournament was taped over the course of two days.

Weaver is no stranger to trivia, having participated in quiz bowl in middle and high school, but still said she didn’t do as much as her fellow students did to prepare — some even went as far as to read a book on buzzer technique written by a former contestant.

“I watched previous College Championships to get a feel for the types of questions that are written for the tournament compared to regular ‘Jeopardy!’” Weaver said. “Then there were certain subjects that I brushed up on like Shakespeare, biblical references and more science-related information.”

During her audition, Weaver said that if she won, she would use the money to go on a trip to Peru with her mom to hike the Inca Trail and see Machu Picchu. However, her main goal was to have fun, regardless of the outcome.

“The best thing that I have gotten from my ‘Jeopardy!’ experience is without a doubt the friendships that I now have with the other contestants,” Weaver said. “My main goal for Jeopardy was to just be myself and enjoy the experience as much as possible and also if I got a Daily Double to get it right.”