Arts & Entertainment

Bridgewater-Raritan Grad Terry O'Shea Makes It To Jeopardy! Finals

Stand-out 2012 student represents the best of her high school, Princeton University and New Jersey in the college championships.

After correctly identifying the concept of string theory, Bridgewater-Raritan High School grad Terry O'Shea clinched her spot in the Tournament of Champions of the Jeopardy! College Championship Challenge Tuesday night.

O'Shea represents Princeton University, where she is currently a sophomore English major.

She advances to the finals, proudly sporting the Princeton orange. 

Earning one of the 15 spots on Jeopardy College Championship has meant extra cramming for the trivia expert. She competes in weekly trivia nights on campus, has devoured quiz show's online archive of previous questions and answers, and actually reads Wikipedia articles, she told the Daily Princetonian.

She gets such a kick out of being challenged by trivia, she told Jeopardy!, that she favors the Potpourri category best, "Because you never quite know what you are going to get." 

O'She graduated from Bridgewater-Raritan High School as one of a dozen National Merit Scholarship finalists, and earned other accolades for academic achievement. She participated in regional Quiz Bowl competitions. 

Her high school is thrilled to see her advance. 

"She's amassed a strong fan base during the tournament, including, among others, BRRSD administrators, teachers, and staff as well as board of education members," said Evan Lerner, Bridgewater-Raritan Regional Board of Education member. 

Beth Perna, a math teacher at the high school who organizes the Bridgewater-Raritan Invitational Tournament of Excellence, said O'Shea was a valuable member of the BRHS Academic Team throughout her high school years. In 2012, she helped the team to a semi-finals finish in the BRITE Tournament, and was honored with an Academic Team Award for this accomplishment.  

"You can bet I'll be watching tonight," said Perna.

Find out what's happening in Bridgewaterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The pre-recorded Jeopardy College Championships continue Thursday and Friday night at 7 p.m. on WABC-TV. 


Find out what's happening in Bridgewaterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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