Answer: This PWCS librarian appeared on Jeopardy! on February 6, 2023.

Who is The Nokesville School librarian, Tanya Parrott?

Sitting in The Nokesville School library, a starry-eyed Tanya Parrott, the school librarian, admits, “I have always been a lifelong trivia lover.” Since fourth grade, while others played outside during recess, Parrott played trivia games like Trivial Pursuit. In high school, she competed in “Scholars for Dollars” and as an adult, she attends trivia events and plays online trivia leagues.

Parrott tried to become a contestant on the trivia show Jeopardy! 10 years ago, making it to the second stage of interviews. Seven years ago, she made it to the second round, which was scheduled for the same day as a job interview at Benton Middle School. “I didn’t want to reschedule my job interview because I wanted to make sure that Benton Middle School knew I really wanted to work there.” While she missed the opportunity to showcase Jeopardy!, she did get the job at Benton Middle and was incredibly happy there.

This past spring, Parrot received a call for a second interview stage consisting of another test, which led to a final interview and mock game. Then in mid-November, she received the call she hoped for and accepted her December 8 date to be a contestant on Jeopardy!

In California, on a darkened Wheel of Fortune set, Parrott sat with the other contestants nervously awaiting her name to be called. Parrott recounts the stage director calling her name, along with three other contestants, and laughing, “It was just a blur of recording after that!” Despite leading for most of the game, Parrott came in second. The experience was a dream come true for Parrott. “It was wonderful, it was wonderful. I had so much fun.”

The outpouring of support and pride from The Nokesville School community was inspirational. Parents sent in pictures of watch parties, students wished her luck, and faculty members wore shirts with her name. “My family here at The Nokesville School has been so supportive and so excited,” Parrott shared while looking at the surrounding posters made by the students. “One class did a mini-Jeopardy game, and they picked things they know about me.” The category was Awesome Librarians.

Dr. Andrew Jacks, principal of The Nokesville School, commented, “We’re so proud of Mrs. Parrot. She is a wonderful representative of our school and community. Her appearance on Jeopardy!, a game show acknowledging the value of knowledge, is an inspiration for our students.”

Both Jacks and Parrott spoke about the important platform Jeopardy! provided Parrott to highlight academic achievement for students, the integral work librarians do every day, and the persistence needed in making a dream come true.