Up until the week that Amy Schneider ended her historic 40-game winning streak on “Jeopardy!,” she was still working full-time as a software engineer because her check for $1,382,800 had yet to arrive.
But it’s safe to assume that the money has arrived, allowing the 42-year-old Oakland resident to feel secure enough to announce that she quit her job Monday. In a tweet Tuesday, she said, with her characteristic humor and humility, that she had made the “nerve-racking” decision “to pivot from software engineer to … public figure, I guess?”
Yes, what does being “a public figure” mean? As Schneider indicated, the career path is rather nebulous, and she’s not sure where it will take her. “But regardless of the outcome I’m so excited to spend the next couple years at least tackling this new challenge!” she said.
One of her first acts as a “public figure” comes Thursday. She’ll make a public appearance at 12:30 p.m. at the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, appearing in person with Michelle Meow, who produces Commonwealth Club programming of interest to the LGBTQ community.
And one more thing: I’ll be appearing at the Commonwealth Club on the @michellemeow show this Thursday at 12:30pm PT! To learn more and buy tickets, go to https://t.co/97u8PpaoOH, locals can attend in person, but anyone can get a ticket for the livestream. Hope to see you there!
— Amy Schneider (@Jeopardamy) February 8, 2022
One of Schneider’s many “Jeopardy!” accomplishments was her position as the first openly transgender person to make it to the Tournament of Champions.
Schneider often said she didn’t want her run on “Jeopardy!” to only be associated with her trans identity; she wanted to be known as a great player. While the Commonwealth Club recognizes her “Jeopardy!” genius, its announcement also said, “There’s nothing minor about her historic run on one of the most respected game shows in the country, and she’s having a major impact on attitudes about the trans community.”
Meanwhile, Schneider’s other historic accomplishments include breaking Matt Amodio’s summer winning streak to become No. 2 in terms of longest winning streaks on “Jeopardy!” She was second only to Ken Jennings and the 74-game winning streak he set in 2004.
Moreover, Schneider was also the best female player on the show. With total winnings of $1,382,800, she was the highest earning female contestant in the show’s history and the fourth highest earning contestant during regular play. On Jan. 7, she became the first woman to earn more than $1 million in the game.
According to a New York Times profile, Schneider knew how things would turn out during the entire two months that America was glued to the screen, watching her win game and after game. She taped her final show on Nov. 9, and her first episode aired Nov. 17. But she had to keep quiet and return to her job to avoid spoilers. The show doesn’t send out checks until after a competitor’s final show airs.
To fulfill her life-long dream to become a “Jeopardy!” champion, Schneider had to take a demotion at work and use up all her paid time off. Her continued success meant commuting from Oakland to Los Angeles to compete in five games a day, twice a week for several consecutive weeks, starting at the end of September.
During her time on the show, Schneider opened up on Twitter about missing her girlfriend, Genevieve Davis, and black cat Meep while taping the show in Los Angeles. The Ohio native told the Times that she felt both a sense of “sadness” and “relief” when she finally lost on Jan. 26. She was stumped in the final round and couldn’t correctly identify one of the world’s most populous countries whose last name ends in “H.”
“I went in the bathroom, cried for about 30 or 40 seconds, pulled myself together and headed out,” Schneider said. “It wasn’t just a feeling of sadness, there was a sense of relief. It was so exhausting.”
Schneider won’t be trying to navigate the next phase of her life without some professional guidance, though. After her final “Jeopardy!” appearance, Schneider confirmed that she had signed with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
In an interview on Twitter Spaces with the New York Times’ Shane O’Neil, Schneider said she had been “having a lot of meetings with my agent.” CAA, she said, was “excited about all kinds of different things, and I’m just trying to drink from the fire hose of what they’re trying to talk about.”
Schneider didn’t mention any specific plans, though she said there might be a book in her future. “I’m really excited about it,” she said. “The chance to put all the stuff I’ve been thinking my whole life into a book is kind of exciting.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com