Lashawn Marshall, RPR, recently competed on the game show Wheel of Fortune. The court reporter and NCRA member was kind enough to grant an interview to the JCR Weekly discussing her experience recording the game show episode as well as how being a court reporter helped her compete on the popular game show.
JCR | How did you get onto Wheel of Fortune? What was the process like?
LW | I went onto their website and applied to be on the show. I submitted a video just letting them know why I would be a great contestant and why I want to be on the show. That was in 2021 or thereabouts. This year in January, I received an email advising me that I was selected to audition via Zoom for the show. On my first audition, they simply asked me my name and why I wanted to be on the show. She then said that someone would be reaching out the next day to set up a second audition. On my second audition, that was the real audition where I was accompanied by three other contestant hopefuls. We played a few rounds, and then we were broken out into separate rooms where we played individually. I thought I did pretty well on the rounds, so I was happy about it. The person from WOF that was on there with me said if I’m selected, I would receive an email in a few weeks. In two weeks, I received an email letting me know that I was selected to be a contestant and asked if I could be there for taping on Feb. 2. I had a good feeling about that date because my husband’s birthday is March 23 and my twin’s birthday is April 2. I’m a numbers gal, lol. Anyway, we planned to be there on the 1st because I had to take a COVID-19 test 24 hours before taping, so we arrived on Jan. 31. On the day I took my COVID19- test, which was also at the Sony studios, I bumped my eye on the gate to get onto the Sony property and had a tiny gash over my eye. I was still determined to win WOF!
JCR | Did your career help you compete on the show?
LW | Oh, I definitely believe so, along with the fact that I’m a word-game enthusiast. I play Wordle every day with my coworkers. I love to solve crossword puzzles, and for many years, I played Words with Friends faithfully.
JCR| Did you connect with any court reporters or captioners throughout the process?
LW | Oh, yes. I’m an official federal reporter here in the Western District of Tennessee, Memphis, and so I’m around court reporters daily.
JCR | What made you go into this career field?
LW | Well, funny story. I was 26 years-old and still trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life. I was watching TV, and a commercial came on with a lady riding on a horse and saying how much free time she has as a court reporter. It was a commercial for a court reporting school. I thought, well, I love typing, so I’m going to apply. Of course, once I really got into it, I realized the thing typing had in common with what we actually do is moving my fingers.
JCR | Where do you see the future of this career field headed?
LW | I see us continuing to prove all of the naysayers wrong who say we are going to be replaced by AI. We are the gold standard when it comes to producing accurate transcripts, and time after time, that’s being proven. Nothing beats the human touch.
JCR | How has being a member of NCRA helped distinguish you from the competition?
LW | I love the fact that having my RPR garners me recognition and esteem. My next certifications are the RMR, CRR, and the RDR! When you see these letters behind someone’s name, that lets you know how good they are and that they are dedicated to this profession.
JCR | Which other game shows would you like to compete on?
LW | Oh, I’m so through with being on game shows! LOL. I loved my experience on WOF, and I will cherish it for the rest of my life, but the varied emotions I went through before, during, and after were overwhelming. Plus, I want to leave on a high note.
