18 September 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – A recently retired Topeka educator is set to appear on national television later this week.
Topeka Public Schools announced via social media that Dr. Beryl New will be on Wheel of Fortune on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. CST to “fulfill her lifelong dream.” New is a 35-year veteran in the education field who retired from Topeka Public Schools in April 2023.
“Way to go Dr. New! We will be rooting for you!”
Topeka Public Schools social media excerpt
KSNT 27 News spoke with New about the release of the episode later this week. She said she has been a fan of the series for decades and remembers when it was hosted by Chuck Woolery. New’s children prompted her to take a stab at applying for the show.
“We would watch it [Wheel of Fortune] in the evenings while I was cooking dinner,” New said. “They’d [her children] say ‘mom you need to try out wheel of fortune, you always get all the puzzles.'”
New said it took her three tries before she was finally accepted onto the show. Wheel of Fortune producers reached out to New, giving her only a short amount of time to confirm her spot in a future episode.
“They emailed me on a Thursday,” New said. “I had 24 hours to respond to that email. I had to be in LA by the following Thursday. So it was a quick turnaround.”
New’s persistence paid off, allowing her to check a box off her bucket list.
“It was just always a dream and a hope,” New said. “Probably hundreds of thousands of people try out. I just thought it was worth the chance that’s why I remained persistent.”
While New already knows the outcome of the episode, she said she’s excited for others to see it, especially friends and family. She hopes her story will inspire others who dream of trying out for the show too.
“I’m excited for others to see the outcome and go through all the emotional ups and downs,” New said. “I truly did get the authentic Wheel of Fortune experience.”
The Wheel of Fortune is currently hosted by Pat Sajak, who will plans to retire after the completion of the 41st season in 2023. Ryan Seacrest will replace him.
To learn how you can get on Wheel of Fortune, click here. To keep up with breaking news in northeast Kansas, click here.