According to a BrandeisNOW article, Joey Kornman ’23, a Brandeis student, was selected as one of 36 other college students that would compete in the Jeopardy! National College Championship. The article states that Kornman is a double major in classical studies and economics with minors in politics and history of ideas. Kornman stated that he chose these majors because of his passion for learning. 

Kornman also discussed his previous experiences with trivia. According to the article, Kornman began attending trivia nights at The Stein, and moreover, he also became a member of the campus quiz bowl team. The campus quiz bowl team is a team for individuals that are passionate about trivia. Finally, Kornman stated that while growing up, his family was competitive in various knowledge-based games in another article from BrandeisNOW. In this article, Kornman stated that “only one member of [his] family was allowed to play at a time.” Kornman further elaborated that “our friends knew that if we all played together we would win,” which the article cited as a piece of evidence to Kornman’s ability in knowledge-based games and trivia competitions.

Kornman found out about the Jeopardy! College National Championship through the Brandeis campus quiz bowl team, according to the article. Subsequently, Kornman attended a series of online applications and interviews. After applying, Kornman waited for a response from Jeopardy. According to the article, Kornman heard months later that he would be competing in the Jeopardy! National College Championship. He would eventually be competing during Thanksgiving break in California and was not allowed to tell anyone before the announcement according to the article.

During the first match, which aired on Feb. 9, Kornman was able to complete the competition with $17,201 in winnings, and even earned a spot in the semi-finals, according to the article.

In his second match on Feb. 18, Kornman did not advance to the finals.