Emily Kelley / Roundup
Christine Valada took some time away from her job at Pierce College last week in order to compete on Jeopardy!, something she has wanted to do since the show first premiered in 1964.
“I find it more challenging than other quiz shows,” said Valada, an assisant adminstrative analyist in the plant facilities department.
Valada first tried out in college and was happy she “didn’t make a fool of herself on national TV.”
Starting Oct. 26, Valada began a five-night run on the popular trivia show and came home with $70,703.
“Winning was nice,” Valada said. “There really was no downside. Well, for nine people there was a downside.”
She has worked at Pierce for five years and is also a lawyer and photographer. Valada does mostly legal advising work, as well as dealing with artists’ rights. Her photographic specialty is portraiture.
Valada said she’s “not very interested in sports,” but that her competitive nature comes out with things like Jeopardy!.
“I suppose it’s kind of a show-off thing,” she said.
She expressed her time on the show was great and that the staff and contestants were all “really, really nice.”
Valada is married to Len Wein, the co-creator of Wolverine and other X-Men, and enjoys horseback riding.
A story on Valada aired Friday on Nightline, the last night of her run.
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