Comet Takes a Spin on ‘Wheel of Fortune’

04.19.2021

Christian Nevarez on the set of “Wheel of Fortune.”

University of Texas at Dallas student Christian Nevarez said he had a lot of fun appearing on “Wheel of Fortune” recently. But he also said he has no plans for such a venture again.

“It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I’m glad I did it, but I’ll probably never, ever do it again,” he said. “I think that this is my TV debut and my retirement.”

Nevarez, an interdisciplinary studies junior, appeared as part of College Week on the popular television game show. He won $17,700 in cash and also won trips to Mexico and Vermont, which were worth $16,600.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nevarez has been living in Southern California while taking UT Dallas classes online. His interdisciplinary focus has been on behavioral and brain sciences, but he has hopes to become a professional dancer.

Currently he is working as an EMT. His duties include administering COVID-19 tests for the Los Angeles Unified School District. The goal of the testing is to get children back into the classroom.

“I’m very spontaneous, which has given me the opportunity to do a lot of different things. I just randomly decided to be an EMT. I try a lot of things, and they just seem to work out,” Nevarez said. “I’m one of the luckiest people I think I’ve ever met in my entire life.”

When “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak introduced Nevarez and asked about his studies, the student got nervous and a bit tongue-tied but had fun with it. He said he was given the opportunity to re-record the introduction but elected to stick with the original take, which showed his personality.

Nevarez said he applied as a contestant last fall. He said he thought he “bombed it” because he heard nothing for several months. Then, in February, he was invited to a Zoom call with show producers, and the next day he was invited to come to the studio a week later to tape an appearance on the show.

Despite his nerves, Nevarez said the overall experience of appearing on “Wheel of Fortune” was wonderful.

“It went by incredibly fast. I blinked, and it was over. But it was super fun, and Pat and Vanna were incredibly nice,” he said, referencing co-host Vanna White, who turns the letters for the word-puzzle games. “Clearly, I got nervous. But it was a great experience.”

–Phil Roth