Although she didn’t win the million dollars, it was a million-dollar experience according to Culinary Arts student Kristal Davis, who had a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Los Angeles, California to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune this past summer. Wheel of Fortune is a popular American game show filled with chance, puzzles and for Davis, memories of a lifetime.
Davis has been a longtime fan of the show for over 20 years, watching every episode with my Grannies. Together they would watch Wheel of Fortune for the feeling of luck and chance, then watch Jeopardy after for the test of their knowledge. As she got older, she joined the Wheel Watchers Club; a club that displayed the winners for each episode and statistics of each contestant.
One week she logged on to check if her wheel statues had won, it didn’t. However, she noticed something peculiar at the bottom of her screen. It had asked her if she wanted to fill out a form to be a contestant. Davis filled out the information, not giving another ounce of thought to it.
Months passed, and at the end of February 2024 she received an email invitation to a group zoom interview in March.
“I felt discouraged, I was in the interview with around 25 other people, how could they choose between all of our personalities?” said Davis.
However, at the time she felt so much honor being even asked to interview it didn’t phase her too much. They told the prospects not to get worried if she doesn’t hear anything back for some time, for it could take up to a year to get recruited.
After the interview, Davis went on with her classes at Schoolcraft and significant time had passed. She had gotten so busy that she forgot she even went through with the interview.
Davis believed she had no chance to continue on to the next group.
One day in early August she looked down at her phone, to see an email from Wheel of Fortune. Davis opened it, and it read, “Congratulations Kristal!”
She remembers her heart leaping at that moment.
“It was the absolute best feeling I have ever felt in my life,” said Davis. She recalled screaming at the top of her lungs.
Davis continued reading the email and they sent her three dates she could choose from: August 27, 28 or the 29th. The dates were soon, she didn’t know how she was going to fit it in, but she knew she had to go.
Davis selected August 28 to attend and she bought her ticket and left.
She arrived on August 28 at 6 a.m..Davis recalls the entire day as if it were a dream from touring Universal Studios to being on set, she can recall it all very vividly. She felt like a movie star.
The show was filmed all day, went through practice and then the official broadcasting. It went by in a flash, but she would not trade the experience for anything.
Davis was able to see what goes into the real behind the scenes of Hollywood. Seeing what it was like to have real fame.
The show aired on television, October 14 nationwide. Now every time someone asks about her experience on Wheel of Fortune or even recognizes her, she feels so much joy and honor to be recognized.
“Even a smile from someone in the hallway makes me feel like a celebrity,” said Davis.
Being on the show was a once in a lifetime experience, which was a dream come true. From a young age she dreamt about being on the show, and she made it.
