'A dream come true': SDL teacher reflects on 'Wheel of Fortune' after winning nearly $60,000 | Entertainment

Before School District of Lancaster teacher Scott Aukamp competed on “Wheel of Fortune,” he dreamed of being on the show and winning $62,000 and a trip to Costa Rica.

Aukamp wasn't that far away.

The second-grade teacher at Smith-Wade-El Elementary School, who lives outside Reading, took part in “Wheel of Fortune” in June, and the episode aired Tuesday night. Aukamp won $59,250, with $40,000 coming from the bonus round. He also won a trip to Barbados.

Before applying for the show, Aukamp and his eldest son Mitchell watched “Wheel of Fortune” earlier this year, and Mitchell commented on how good Aukamp was at the game.

Wheel of Fortune has been a part of Aukamp's life for almost 40 years, so he was already very practiced at this point.

Aukamp spontaneously applied for the game show in March and didn't tell his friends or family about it. But when he received an email from the show setting up a Zoom call, he finally told everyone.

Nearly a million people apply to be on “Wheel of Fortune” every year, but only about 600 people actually get on the show, giving Aukamp a 0.0006% chance of making it.

But he did.

Before going on the show, Aukamp says he downloaded the Wheel of Fortune app and practiced with almost 500 games. He researched the most common consonants and vowels and learned as much as he could about the sentence and the odds of winning.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I didn’t want to blow it,” says Aukamp.

Aukamp's episode aired during the show's “Teacher Week,” which featured teachers as contestants. Aukamp says he met teachers from all over the United States.

When Aukamp got to the bonus round, he knew he had won his bonus prize money when he looked at the final puzzle.

(Watch the bonus round video below. The article continues after the video.)

“I thought I had it before I guessed the letters,” Aukamp says.

He thought, “I'm either going to look really good or really bad here.” But then everything started to shine and he realized he got it.

The riddle he solved was, “I’m waiting for my turn.”

Aukamp kept the secret for more than three months, but it was finally revealed on Tuesday evening. Aukamp hosted a wake party at Spring House Brewing Company with some of his teachers, some lifelong friends, Reading neighbors and, of course, family members.

“Everyone cheered,” says Aukamp. “Even after that, I had, I don't know how many text messages, Facebook messages, emails about work… It's crazy.”

As for Aukamp's plans for the money, which he says he won't receive until January, he wants to put some toward his sons' education and perhaps spend some on a family vacation or on work around his house.

(Aukamp's wife Susan stood nearby and was introduced by host Ryan Seacrest while Aukamp played for the bonus money on the show.)

“I’ll just put it away until I need it,” Aukamp says.

Aukamp says he plans to take part in more game shows in the future, but that his contract with “Wheel of Fortune” will require him to wait a year. But he would love to be on a show like Press Your Luck.

“It’s just a dream come true,” says Aukamp.