Goucher Senior Wins $50K on "Jeopardy!"

senior placed second in the "Jeopardy!" College Championship that aired Tuesday night. The 22-year-old, majoring in history with a minor in political science, scored $50,000 in cash.

“It has definitely been a dream come true," Bart told Patch Tuesday afternoon. "The experience has been wild, especially afterward, knowing what happened and watching everyone respond to it. Even though it happened a month ago, it’s so surreal.”

Bart said she's had fun watching the shows air. Students around campus have even begun calling her ""Jeopardy!" Girl."

"That’s going to stick around for a while,” she quipped. 

But the name may very well have applied to Bart before her national television debut.

“Since I started college, I’ve been watching "Jeopardy!" pretty much every day," Bart said. "Even before that, I watched the show pretty regularly. I’ve always been into trivia-type games."

Bart said her fondness of trivia began at 3 years old, when she mastered Geo Safari, a toy that challenged children to match countries with capitals. By 21, her know-it-all skills came in handy while playing bar trivia with her friends and family. 

The third time was the charm for Bart to qualify for the game show. She failed the online exam the first time and missed the deadline to apply the second time. Her third try landed her behind the podium.

Aside from the $50,000 second place cash prize, Bart said she has taken home a great resume booster and a wider social and professional network.

She even received a phone call from one of her favorite sports franchises, the New York Mets, after she told "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek her dream job was to work as the team's general manager.

On meeting Trebek, Bart said, "He’s a funny dude. He definitely has fun with his job. I admire him for that.”

Bart competed against 14 undergraduate students from across the country during the championship series. She credited her years at with preparing her for the challenge.

“I took courses from all across the curriculum, which I think certainly boosted my knowledge in a wide variety of fields,” Bart stated in a news release.

“I have learned new things simply from being in new places. It doesn’t have to be on the other side of the world—just getting outside of your comfort zone and experiencing something new is valuable," she stated.