photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

University of Kansas student Dane Christensen appeared on an episode of "Wheel of Fortune" Tuesday night, and he was able to watch as it aired with fellow members of Story Hill Church's college ministry in western Lawrence.

Folks from Lawrence who tuned in to watch “Wheel of Fortune” Tuesday night saw a contestant from right in their own backyard.

Dane Christensen, a University of Kansas junior studying business administration, appeared on the popular game show as part of its College Week programming. Christensen competed against students from the University of Arizona and Baylor University, and he walked away with $2,000 in winnings.

Christensen was able to watch his episode, filmed back in January, with fellow members of Story Hill Church’s college ministry at a watch party in western Lawrence as it aired Tuesday night.

Christensen, who’s originally from Nebraska, was actually no stranger to the “Wheel of Fortune” set in California — he’d already made a trip to a taping back in 2018, when his father, Curt, was a contestant. In the years since then, Christensen has submitted multiple audition tapes in hopes of getting his own chance at appearing as a contestant.

“That’s how you do it — persistence is key,” Christensen told the Journal-World. “It’s all a fun thing. I was just like ‘Oh, it’d be so sweet to be on the show,’ so every year or eight months I would just kind of get on and throw up a one-minute video and be like ‘Well, hope this one works.’ So it looks like one of them stuck.”

After interviewing virtually in November of 2022, Christensen was asked to appear on the show in January and had to fly out to California within just two weeks for taping. That meant dropping everything, skipping some classes and rounding up the family for a trip, which Christensen said made for a fun start to the new semester.

Although he’d already been on set before, Christensen said it was a totally different feeling going from spectator to contestant.

“I think it was super neat this time going and being supported, rather than last time being the one who was supporting my dad when my mom and I were in the crowd,” Christensen said. “It’s just very special this time to know my parents, my girlfriend, were out there in the audience doing the same for me.”

photo by: Contributed

University of Kansas student Dane Christensen is pictured with his parents, Curt and June, and girlfriend Bree Voos after filming for his episode of Wheel of Fortune at the program’s Culver City studio in California.

And representing KU was an added bonus. Christensen said meeting other university students from around the country who were appearing as part of College Week was yet another positive part of the experience that he felt lucky to have been included in.

After finally getting his chance to compete, Christensen said he definitely encourages other local fans of the show send in audition tapes of their own.

“I highly recommend it,” Christensen said of being on the show. “They always take auditions, and man, this was probably one of the coolest opportunities I’ve ever had.”