Medina man surges on 'Jeopardy!'

MEDINA — Matt Amodio credits the teaching staff at Medina High School for fostering his love of learning, and now it's paying off, as the 30-year-old won his fourth show Monday on "Jeopardy!" on CBS. Amodio currently is working toward his doctorate in computer science at Yale University, and received his bachelor's degree in actuarial math at Ohio State University after being the class valedictorian at Medina High School in 2009. "I take pride in that," Amodio said of being a top-notch student. "I like learning. ("Jeopardy!") rewards you for that. It's a happy coincidence." Amodio has won $122,400 so far, which he said will obviously come in handy for school. "I still don't believe it," he said. "It's really crazy. I'm a Ph.D. student. I know about spending money, not making money. This money will be very helpful. I've been very fortunate." Amodio said he had a grade-point average of better than 4.0 in high school and graduated with a 3.9 at Ohio State. He received an A-minus in a couple of courses, much to his dismay. "Don't get me going," Amodio said. "Math is tough." And so are game shows. "It's become a real life thing for me," he said. "It's made a real impact on my life." He appeared with host Robin Roberts last week, and LeVar Burton was the host Monday. "I've been a lifetime fan of the show," Amodio said. "You can learn a lot by just watching it every day. I've had good fortune to have the opportunity to be on the show. My family has been a huge support for me all the way. I have to thank all my teachers at Medina High School who instilled a love of learning in me." His parents, Bonnie and Jim Amodio, still live in Medina, and he has three older brothers: Dan, Steve and Mike. "The Amodios were populating the halls of Medina High for a while," he said. Amodio took an online test, then auditioned for the show in New York. His first appearance was July 21. He won the first three shows, then advanced to Monday's episode. Amodio said he was sworn to secrecy on how he did Monday. He continued his winning ways. Being around Roberts was "great," he said. "She has a lot of positive energy. She's fun to be around." Amodio's only regret was not meeting Alex Trebek, who died of complications from pancreatic cancer last November after hosting the show for 36 years. "I don't want to sound ungrateful," he said. "That would have been a great experience. For a chance to meet him would have been incredible. The people I did meet, though, were great. "All the people behind the scenes worked with Alex. It really runs smoothly. It was a great experience." Contact reporter Bob Finnan at (330) 721-4049 or rfinnan@medina-gazette.com.