'Wheel of Fortune' appearance is dream come true for Washington County teacher

As a child, Kelly Miller-Secrest would watch "Wheel of Fortune" with her mom, Cinda Miller, in their Williamsport, Pa., home.

As an adult, she watches and plays the game show "from her couch" with her daughter, Olivia, 10, in their Mercersburg, Pa., home.

And on Monday, about 70 co-workers from Williamsport Elementary School in Washington County, and their families, will gather at the Improved Order of Red Men Tribe 84 near Williamsport to watch Miller-Secrest live out her dream as a contestant on her favorite game show.

"I love everything related to words, and reading and writing," said Miller-Secrest, an English Language Arts teacher for fourth graders at Williamsport Elementary.

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' "Wheel of Fortune" is right down my alley'

This is her 25th year with Washington County Public Schools. She was known as Ms. Miller when teaching at Western Heights Middle School in Hagerstown, Lincolnshire Elementary in Halfway and Fountain Rock Elementary southeast of Williamsport. She married shortly after starting to teach at Williamsport Elementary about 17 years ago.

"I teach reading and writing. ... Which is why 'Wheel of Fortune' is right down my alley. All I do all day is read, write and do word work with 10-year-olds," she said.

"I always said I wanted to try 'Wheel of Fortune.' My family laughed at me and said that was the craziest thing they ever heard," she said.

But, she said, "Dreams really do come true. and they sometimes come very quickly."

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Teacher gets to meet Pat Sajak, Vanna White on big show

During the winter break from school, Miller-Secrist applied online to become a contestant. A month later she was landing at Los Angeles International Airport with her husband, Rich Secrest, and friend Stacie Hood, who teaches fourth-grade science and social studies.

She got to shake the hand of longtime Wheel host Pat Sajak, who is retiring from the show later this year. Miller-Secrest said she also got to meet Vanna White, who greets the contestants before they go on air.

Of course, Miller-Secrest can't divulge how she did on the show. But that doesn't keep people from asking her — every day.

"The biggest question I get is, 'Did you win the million?' " Miller-Secrest said. She jokingly responds, "I'm still teaching, aren't I?"

She said her son, Aidan, 14, can't wait to learn the results.

"As my manager, he thinks he's going to get 30%," she said.

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Trying out for 'Wheel of Fortune'

After filling out the online application, Miller-Secrest said she was invited to go through a virtual audition where Wheel officials talked to her to see if they think she's "camera-ready."

Then she met with a casting producer via a Zoom meeting. She did practice puzzles, similar to those seen on the show. They timed her while seeing how many puzzles she got correct.

"They want to see how you do under pressure," she said.

"I didn't think I did well. I didn't get them all," she said. "They really don't let on how well you did."

A couple days later she got an email congratulating her and saying they wanted to see her in five days to film the show.

Miller-Secrest said she doesn't typically take time off when school is in session. Her principal, Rhonda Smith, was supportive, telling her she had to go because it was such a rare opportunity.

Miller-Secrest said she taught school that Monday, flew through that night and arrived in LA around 1 a.m. Tuesday. She was teaching again on Friday.

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Pushing through the fear of being in 'Wheel of Fortune' spotlight

Realizing that millions of people would be sitting on their couches watching her on Wheel, Miller-Secrest said she started feeling "immense fear" on the Uber drive to the Culver City, Calif., studio for her 7 a.m. call time.

But she remembered what an opportunity this was.

"I don't want fear to stop me from something I'll always remember," she said.

"At 47, the best thing in life is not the money you make, it's the experiences that you have. The experience I had there was once in a lifetime, something I'll always remember," she said.

"I put it on my bucket list and I achieved one of my dreams," Miller-Secrest said.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Williamsport teacher to appear on 'Wheel of Fortune': When to watch