Teacher takes a spin on 'Wheel'

When Julie Mikolajczyk heard Wheel of Fortune was in the Chicago area for auditions, she had just one thing to say to her husband, James.

"You're going."

It didn't take much convincing. A huge fan of the TV show, the 29-year-old from Third Lake has been watching Vanna White turn vowels since he was a kid.

So, it will be with a lot of excitement that friends and family will gather tonight for a viewing party to see how the Libertyville High School English teacher won $8,200 in prize money.

While the news is buzzing around Libertyville High, it's also a hot topic at Mundelein High School, where Julie is an English teacher.

James Mikolajczyk was one of thousands of hopefuls who went to Rosemont last fall to try out for the show.

What were the chances he'd get picked?

"Knee Length Bermuda Shorts" was the phrase that got him past the first round. He nailed it in just two guesses. He went on to be one of the final 16 contestants, but wasn't sure if he made the final cut.

Months passed without word and he assumed he didn't make it.

But in March, Mikolajczyk got a surprise phone call. "Can you come to L.A.?" the producer asked.

Scraping together the money, he made his way to the studio in Culver City, Calif.

Mikolajczyk said waiting in the holding area called the "Green Room" on the day of taping was a bit surreal.

"So in comes this woman in sweatpants and no make-up to greet us, and it's Vanna White," he said. "She was friendly and gracious, but it was odd to see her out of context."

He discovered a few other oddities on the set too. Each contestant stands on a hydraulic platform that is raised and lowered depending on his or her height. "And that Wheel of Fortune weighs 1,000 pounds," he said. "I never would have imagined that."

Mikolajczyk earned his prize money after guessing "Compact Florescent Light Bulbs" and "Stealing Second Base."

Not bad, but his opponent seemed to have telepathic powers and won $25,000. "That guy was like the 'Rain Man," Mikolajczyk quipped.

The couple will use the money to pay-off student loans and buy carpet for James' mother.