A Trinity University graduate walked away with tens of thousands of dollars in winnings from a brief stint on “Jeopardy!”
Dean Zach, who graduated from the school in 2024 with an English degree, won $39,000 after appearing on two episodes of “Jeopardy!”, according to a news release from the university. He won one episode before bowing out of the show in his following appearance.
Zach grew up around the Houston area with the long-running trivia show running in the background for most of his life, according to the school. When he enrolled at Trinity, the show was “appointment television” he watched in common areas on campus.
The game show called him up while he was visiting the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, according to the news release. He credits his liberal arts education and countless hours listening to podcasts with giving him a broad bank of knowledge suited for the show.
Zach’s episodes aired on July 22 and 23. According to the university, he’s only the fourth person in the show’s history to double his money on back-to-back Daily Doubles — a hidden question that allows contestants to wager their winnings and double their earnings.
Despite his prime-time success, Zach doesn’t expect the mojo to carry over to his everyday life, confessing he’s “shockingly bad at local pub trivia. He’s currently studying for a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Houston, according to Trinity’s news release.