Mt. Olive teacher wins big on 'Wheel'

A Mount Olive middle school teacher's studying paid off as she won more than $60,000 on Thursday evening's episode of "Wheel of Fortune."

"It was sensational. I'm still in disbelief," said Jamie Greifenberger, 30, of Netcong. "I still ask my husband, did this really happen?"

A longtime and avid fan of the show, Greifenberger, a sixth-grade math teacher in Mount Olive, applied to be a contestant annually for the past 11 years before finally landing an audition this year.

Greifenberger credits a speech background with readying her for the challenge, and now she has proof for her students that doing homework pays off. Greifenberger entered the game with a strategy, studying old college notebooks to brush up on phonetics, semantics and syntax.

In all, she won $62,750 in cash and prizes.

"We were already planning a Disney World trip, so this will help with that," Greifenberger said. "And whatever we can save toward our house will be great."

Greifenberger filmed the Mother's Day-themed episode in March and had to keep quiet about her success for more than a month.

"It was a phenomenal experience," Greifenberger said. "People say they always consider applying. Just do it. You never know what might happen."

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com