THE DISTRICT SAYS IT WILL CONDUCT A NATIONAL SEARCH FOR THE NEXT PRINCIPAL. BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL HAD A REASON TO ROOT FOR A WINNER.... DURING LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE OF "JEOPARDY". WHICH YOU SAW... RIGHT HERE ON N-B-C FIVE. NBC 5'S TYLER BORONSKI SAT DOWN WITH THE NOW LOCAL CELEBRITY. AFTER HER 30 MINUTES OF FAME ON NATIONAL T-V. <JEOPARDY MUSIC> THE ICONIC THEME MUSIC THAT CLAIRE THEROT (THEO- RET) HAS HEARD THOUSANDS OF TIMES.... BUT INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO IT FROM HER COUCH....THE ESSEX RESIDENT HEARD IT LOUD AND CLEAR ON THE JEOPARDY SOUNDSTAGE THE 25-YEAR OLD GREW UP AN AVID WATCHER OF THE POPULAR GAME SHOW OFTEN TAKING HER LOVE FOR OBSCURE TRIVIA....TO HER DAY JOB AT BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL NO FONT HERE <CLAIRE THEORET, JEOPARDY CONTESTANT, DURATION: 2 SECONDS "I WOULD OCCASIONALLY DO TRIVIA QUESTIONS FOR PEOPLE THAT WALK IN."> THE MORNING AFTER HER APPEARANCE GARNERED A DIFFERENT REACTION.... <CLAIRE THEORET, JEOPARDY CONTESTANT, DURATION: 10 SECONDS, "I WAS ACTUALLY ON THE PHONE WITH SOMEONE, AND THEY COULD SEE ME THROUGH THE DOOR AND THEY WERE LIKE 'WOAH SHE WAS ON IT!' AND I WAS LIKE 'YUP THAT'S A THING THAT HAPPENED.' (LAUGHING)> THAT COMES AFTER SHE COMPETED IN ONE OF THE MOST CLOSELY FOUGHT EPISODES JEOPARDY VIEWERS HAVE SEEN THIS SEASON <CLIP OF CLAIRE GETTING AN ANSWER RIGHT> BUT DON'T THINK IT WAS AN OVERNIGHT PROCESS TO GET HER 15 MINUTES OF FAME.... IT TOOK HER FIFTEEN MONTHS TO GET ON THE SHOW. AFTER THE FIRST AUDITION SHE ALMOST MISSED THE SECOND ROUND OF TRYOUTS. <CLAIRE THEORET, JEOPARDY CONTESTANT, DURATION: 11 SECONDS, "I ACTUALLY GOT AN INVITATION FOR THE 2ND AUDITION LIKE A WEEK LATER, BUT I MISSED IT BECAUSE OF THE TIME CHANGE. IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT THAT I GOT THE EMAIL."> AFTER A FEW MONTHS....CLAIRE FINALLY GOT SELECTED.... TO TAKE ON HER TWO OTHER CHALLENGERS, INCLUDING A 13- TIME CHAMP.... <CLAIRE THEORET, JEOPARDY CONTESTANT, DURATION: 7 SECONDS, "I DIDN'T FEEL THAT NERVOUS DURING THE ACTUAL GAME ITSELF....DURING THE DAY, I WAS PRETTY MUCH IN THE ZONE."> THE TRIO WENT "DOWN TO THE WIRE"..... SEPERATED BY LESS THAN 15- HUNDRED DOLLARS ENTERING "FINAL JEOPARDY" ALL THREE ANSWERING THE LAST QUESTION CORRECTLY.... NEARLY RISKING ALL THEIR MONEY... <CLIP CLAIRE WOULD END UP IN DOLLARS.... <CLAIRE THEORET, JEOPARDY CONTESTANT, DURATION: 15 SECONDS, "I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS THE BUZZER HONESTLY. I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE THINK THAT'S A COP OUT, BUT I SWEAR IT'S TRICKY! I PRACTICED WITH A BALLPOINT PEN AND IT WAS NOTHING LIKE THE BALLPOINT PEN AT ALL! (LAUGHING)"> BUT REGARDLESS OF THE RESULTS....SHE MADE HER COMMUNITY PROUD <KARYN VOGEL, CLAIRE'S CO-WORKER, DURATION: 3 SECONDS "SHE WAS CONFIDENT. SHE JUST CRUSHED IT."> <LEVAR BARRINO, CLAIRE'S CO-WORKER, DURATION: 4 SECONDS, "SHE'S BEEN A GREAT VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND NOW I KNOW SHE HAS SOME GENIUSNESS BEHIND HER!"> MOST IMPORTANTLY.... SHE WAS ABLE TO LEAVE....WITH MEMORIES OF A LIFETIME.... <CLAIRE THEORET, JEOPARD