Jeopardy! Champ Amy Schneider Takes A Gamble In Her Professional Life
Amy Schneider made "Jeopardy!" history with a 40-day winning streak — a run that was the second-longest in the show's history, behind Ken Jennings. She also broke the record for the longest winning streak by any female player and became the first transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions.
"When I started, my biggest goal was just to win four games," Schneider told People after her final game. "Not only did I end up winning 10 times as many, but I've heard from so many people, especially trans people and their loved ones, about how much it's meant to them to see me succeed, and that's something I will always, always be proud of."
Before "Jeopardy!" Schneider attended the University of Dayton to study computer science, going on to work in the engineering field for more than 20 years. When she entered the television competition, Schneider was employed as an engineering manager at Fieldwire in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to her LinkedIn page. By the time her "Jeopardy!" run was done, Schneider had earned $1,382,800 in winnings and told the Advocate that she planned to use some of her winnings to take a trip to Ireland, buy "some fancy designer clothes," and buy a home with her girlfriend of one year, Genevieve Lewis (via People).
Schneider also revealed at the time that she was considering a career change. It seems she's now made a decision on that front!
Amy Schneider has quit her full-time job
Amy Schneider is ready for the next chapter in her career. The "Jeopardy!" champ announced on social media that she has made the big decision to leave her full-time job. "Some of you may have heard, but I quit my day job yesterday!" she wrote on Twitter. "It's a bit nerve-wracking to pivot from software engineer to... public figure, I guess? But regardless of the outcome I'm so excited to spend the next couple years at least tackling this new challenge!"
Schneider has already expressed her desire to write a book. "My agent — which still feels like such a weird thing to say — really wants to get moving on that real quick while the publicity is out there. That's what I know for sure," she revealed during an Instagram Live interview with GLAAD. She'll also be returning to "Jeopardy!" for the show's Tournament of Champions in Fall 2022, and is even open to being a guest host in the future. "If somebody was to call and ask me to try out for it or whatever, I wouldn't say no," said Schneider. "That would definitely be something I'd be willing to explore."