Before School District of Lancaster teacher Scott Aukamp competed on "Wheel of Fortune," he had a dream that he was on the show, and had won $62,000 and a trip to Costa Rica.
Aukamp wasn't that far off.
The Smith-Wade-El Elementary second-grade teacher, who lives outside of Reading, competed on "Wheel of Fortune" in June, and the episode ran Tuesday night. Aukamp won $59,250, with $40,000 coming from the bonus round. He also won a trip to Barbados.
Prior to applying to the show, Aukamp and his oldest son, Mitchell, were watching "Wheel of Fortune" earlier this year, and Mitchell commented how good at the game Aukamp was.
"Wheel of Fortune" has been part of Aukamp's life for nearly 40 years, so by that time he was well practiced.
Aukamp applied for the game show on a whim in March, and didn't tell his friends or family. But, when he got an email from the show setting up a Zoom call, he finally told everyone.
Nearly a million people apply to be part of "Wheel of Fortune" yearly, but only around 600 people actually get to be on the show, giving Aukamp a .0006% chance of making it.
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Before going on the show, he downloaded the "Wheel of Fortune" app and practiced with nearly 500 games, Aukamp says. He researched the most common consonants and vowels, and learned everything he could about the set and the odds of winning.
"It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and I didn't want to blow it," Aukamp says.
Aukamp's episode aired during the show's "Teacher Week," which featured teachers as contestants. He met teachers from across the United States, Aukamp says.
When Aukamp got to the bonus round, he knew he had won his bonus prize money when he looked at the final puzzle.
(Watch the bonus-round video below. Article continues after video.)
"I thought I had it before I guessed the letters," Aukamp says.
He was thinking, "I'm either going to look really good or really bad here." But then everything started lighting up, and he realized he got it.
The puzzle he solved was "Waiting my turn."
Aukamp kept the secret for more than three months, but it was finally revealed Tuesday night. Aukamp hosted a watch party at Spring House Brewing Company with some of his teaching staff, some lifelong friends, neighbors from Reading and, of course, family members.
"Everybody was cheering," Aukamp says. "Even after that, I had, I don't know how many text messages, Facebook messages, emails through work ... It's crazy."
As for Aukamp's plans for the money, which he says he won't receive until January, he plans to put some towards his sons' educations, and perhaps spend some on a family vacation or some work around his house.
(Aukamp’s wife, Susan, was standing nearby, and was introduced by host Ryan Seacrest, as Aukamp played for the bonus money on the show.)
"I'm just kind of going to put it away until I need it," Aukamp says.
Aukamp says he plans to go on more game shows in the future, but that he has to wait a year per his contract with "Wheel of Fortune." But, he'd love to go on a show like "Press Your Luck."
"It's just a dream come true," Aukamp says.
