Q: How did you get the opportunity to be on the show? What were you doing in Los Angeles?

A: I was in Los Angeles because I was there for an LA connection. It’s an interim program offered through the school. So on the itinerary that we had, we did have to go to the taping of The Price is Right. So, I went, and it was such an extensive process. But that’s pretty much why I was in LA.

Q: Explain the process by which you had to take in order to get on the show.

A: So we got there really early, and we just had to fill out a ton of paperwork. And after that the waiting process just started. We got piled into these park benches kind of, and then they took us in groups eventually of like 10, and the producer came down one by one kind of just asking “Hey, what are you here for?” and “What’s your favorite game on the show?” and things like that. He could see that we were all college kids, so like, we were already the odd ones out. He goes to me and says “What’s your favorite game on ‘The Price is Right’?” so I just kind of pulled it out of wherever and went “My favorite game is Grocery Bingo because your girl is a college student, and she’s gotta eat!” So after we waited, they finally piled us into the taping. They gave us some rules, and then the show was about to start. And all of a sudden they hold up a cue card when the show starts, and I’m the first contestant to be called down.

Q: What was it like being a contestant on ‘The Price is Right’?

A: It just entailed a lot of emotions, a lot of excitement, a lot of nerves. I was very nervous. Especially when I got to the showcase because I didn’t expect to be there. So I’m just sitting there trying to add up all these costs. Everyone is super nice. Drew Carey, he apologized because he was saying my name wrong. So being on the show was very, very nerve-wracking.

Q: How is actually being on the show different from what we view on TV?

A: Oh, my gosh. The difference is just like — I feel as a viewer of the show — if you’re just watching it on TV, you don’t get that emotionally invested and connected to something. You don’t see what the contestants are going through. They’re probably thinking the same things, like “Oh my gosh, what am I going to do if I win this car?” or whatever the prize is. So I think that’s the really big difference: as a normal viewer, you don’t see what the contestants are going through, but even the audience members at the actual taping of it, you can tell they’re emotionally invested in it as well. You’re not gonna be screaming and shouting from your couch.

Q: What were some of your favorite parts of being on the show?

A: To put it into simplest terms, I don’t know; there’s not one particular moment. What genuinely gets me is the fact that I didn’t make it all the way to the final showcase. Actually no; backtrack everything I said. Spinning the wheel is literally the best part of being on the show. Whether you pass that stage or not, spinning that wheel is iconic. It’s heavy, I had to use all my force to spin it.

Q: What did you win?

A: In the grand scheme of things, I ended up taking home — although I have to wait a couple more months for it — I ended up taking home $1,000 and then the Apple Watch and then the subscription that comes with it.

Q: Is there anything that I missed that you’d like to add?

A: That I just look like a crazy woman! I look like I’m really excited to be on the show, which I know they look for that. But I don’t regret it; it was so much fun. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime thing.