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April 7, 2009
For Immediate Release
For an Interview:
Trisha Miller
"Millionaire" publicist
(518) 823-4166
OREM, Utah - Thirty years ago, Shannon Young put her education on hold to start a family.
Now, after raising four children and earning a degree at Utah Valley University, she has a story to tell and "Millionaire" is telling it.
"There are a lot of young mothers who have stayed home to raise their families and they don’t think there is going to be a second chapter in their lives," said Young, who also has 11 grandchildren. "Going to Utah Valley University is why, I think, I was on the show; because I was an example that a woman can raise her family and go on to get her degree."
Her story and quest to win $1 million will air on "Millionaire" Wednesday at 3 p.m. on KSL Channel 5, the local NBC affiliate station.
Young, 49, had less than eight college credits under her belt when she enrolled at UVU in 2006. Two years later she earned a bachelor’s degree in integrated studies with an emphasis on communications and social science.
Not only did she get her degree, she was the valedictorian of her class. She will begin working on a master’s degree in social work at BYU this fall.
"It’s exciting to be prepared to do something I feel strongly about. I want to do something I have a passion for. That’s what the degree is allowing me to do," she said. "I am so excited to get back to school. It’s given me an avenue of interest and focus that has been wonderful."
Young and her youngest daughter, who was still living at home at the time, enrolled at UVU together. She took as many as 27 credits per semester at times in order to complete her degree in two years.
"Staying at home and running a household gave me an incredible advantage when I went back to school," she said.
When Young, who has been on nearly a half-dozen game shows including "Pyramid" and "Password," entered her name to be considered for "Millionaire" she never thought it would lead to anything.
"I very quickly put my name in online and forgot about it," she said after seeing an episode of the show last summer. "The next week I got an e-mail telling me that they wanted me in New York City in three days for an audition."
She and her husband went to New York in August and after a taking a written test and conducting an interview she was one of two people in her group of 45 selected to move on to part two of the audition, which included interviews with the "Millionaire" producers. Young impressed at this stage as well and was selected to be on the show.
They went back to New York City in October for taping.
"Meredith (Vieira) is the bright spot of the whole thing. She is genuine and wonderful. She was like having a cheerleader or friend on the set," Young said. "It’s really terrifying and overwhelming. It is as overwhelming as it seems it might be."
Young said that if she wins big on "Millionaire" she would use the money for graduate school, take a Disney cruise with all her grandchildren and contribute to her retirement fund.
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University Marketing Contact:
Erin Spurgeon
(801) 863-6807
Written by:
Jay Hinton
(801) 863-8504