By Rhea Choudhary | Staff Writer
Baylor professor Dr. Saralyn McKinnon-Crowley brought her love of trivia to the national stage last week when she competed on “Jeopardy!”, fulfilling a dream years in the making.
McKinnon-Crowley, who teaches in Baylor’s School of Education’s higher education studies and leadership program, said the road to the iconic game show took far longer than most people realize.
“It was a pretty lengthy audition process,” McKinnon-Crowley said. “The first step is taking what’s called the anytime test, which is a random set of general knowledge trivia questions like you might find on ‘Jeopardy!'”
She first attempted the test more than a decade ago without hearing back, but decided to try again in 2023 after a conversation with a friend. That attempt eventually led to multiple rounds of virtual testing and a screen test with show producers.
Last month, she finally traveled to Los Angeles to tape the episode.
“It was really cool to be on the Sony lot,” McKinnon-Crowley said. “The whole time I was looking for celebrities. Being on stage and actually doing the filming — I don’t really have anything to compare it to.”
Despite her nerves, she said she focused on enjoying the moment.
“You can’t control what the categories are going to be like or how the other contestants will play,” McKinnon-Crowley said. “I just tried to focus as much as I can on having fun.”
McKinnon-Crowley placed third in her game, but said the best part was the people she met. She and the other contestants she met in her round still keep in touch through a group chat where they play puzzles and trivia together.
The Baylor community also rallied around her. Students and faculty held watch parties across campus, with one held at Brooks Residential College, where faculty steward Dr. Rishi Sriram’s house was filled with cheering viewers, including Colorado Springs, Colo., junior Sophia Slavsky.
“It was so fun to see one of Baylor’s professors on ‘Jeopardy!’”, Slavsky said. “Everyone was proud, and even though she didn’t win, people enjoyed supporting her and celebrating the fact that she made it to the stage.”
University leadership also voiced its support ahead of her appearance. President Linda Livingstone wished McKinnon-Crowley luck before she was on the show.
“I’m thrilled to report Baylor’s own Saralyn McKinnon-Crowley will be competing on ‘Jeopardy!’ tomorrow,” Livingstone said. “McKinnon-Crowley is an assistant professor of higher education studies and leadership. Good luck, Dr. McKinnon-Crowley. We are rooting for you!”
For McKinnon-Crowley, the experience was the follow-through of a lifelong passion.
“I’ve always loved trivia,” McKinnon-Crowley said. “My family would do trivia competitions on vacation, and I played weekly with a team during grad school. It’s been a big part of my life, so getting to be on ‘Jeopardy!’ felt full circle.”
She encourages anyone curious to take the anytime test.
“Everyone was absolutely so lovely, and it was super fun,” McKinnon-Crowley said. “I think everyone who’s at all interested should try.”
