Keenan Souve ripped open the letter. When he saw what was inside, he started running around his apartment screaming in pure excitement. 

The letter informed Keenan, a civil engineering junior at WSU, he would be on the game show series Wheel of Fortune on April 7.  

Keenan’s interest in Wheel of Fortune sparked when he was just six years old. Since then, he has watched the show almost every night with his mom, he said. 

“He was trying to solve puzzles and both of us are extremely competitive,” Keenan’s mom Teresa Souve said.

The two would joke with each other about someday competing on the show. Keenan said he entered a submission video thinking to himself, ‘why not?’ 

A year later, he received an email requesting him to try out for the show in Seattle. 

“They just don’t want someone that can be shy,” Keenan said. “They kind of want a big personality.” 

He said he kept his energy high throughout the tryouts, which he believes won him the spot. 

Keenan was one of the four college students competing for a spot on the show, but about 16 people tried out overall.

After tryouts, Keenan got a letter in the mail two weeks later saying he was chosen for the show.

“So when he got the letter, I told him, ‘Oh my gosh, are you serious?” Teresa said.

Keenan spent the two weeks leading up to the taping watching YouTube videos of past shows. He said his roommate would come home and be surprised he was still preparing. 

Keenan isn’t the only one to have the chance to try out, Teresa said. His mom submitted her name about eight years ago and tried out in Seattle, but never moved on to the next stages.

“I remember I was so nervous,” she said. “I was playing like a deer in headlights.”

Keenan, his parents, sister and nephew flew down to California where filming took place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., he said. 

When he was taping the episode in February, Pat Sajak and Vanna White looked totally different in-person, but they were nice to all the contestants, Keenan said. They both tried to calm the contestants down when the cameras were rolling and emphasized having fun. 

Keenan said he only has one regret. He wasn’t able to sneak in a ‘Go Cougs!’ 

Keenan planned to have a large watch party for the episode airing, but instead, he will be staying at home with his family, he said. 

Editors note: this story was amended to correct the spelling of Vanna White’s name