23-time Jeopardy winner returns to Calgary

Mattea Roach addresses Webber Academy teens Mattea Roach, the most successful Canadian Jeopardy! contestant ever, spoke to an audience of Calgary teenagers, Tuesday.

The most successful Canadian Jeopardy! candidate ever made a special address at Webber Academy, where the 24-year-old once attended.

Mattea Roach won the popular reverse-question trivia show an eye-popping 23 times, winning $750,000.

She said Tuesday morning was the first time she had been back on the school campus where she attended up to Grade 4 back in 2007.

"It's familiar, but sort of strange and unfamiliar at the same time," said Roach.

After a keynote address, she faced-off against four high school students for the trivia game "Reach for The Top," followed by a question and answer session that focussed on life after high school and entering adulthood.

"My advice was find supportive communities if you're moving away especially, that's super important. And pursue things because they're interesting to you and not because some person tells you they would be a good resume line item," said Roach.

That advice stuck with one student who shares a love for debate and trivia.

"I found that I just like doing the things I like doing, the extracurricular I enjoy and she sort of reinforced the importance of that," said Andrew Kerr, a Grade 10 student.

He later added, "I don't get a ton of chances to meet cool people like this and I think its just really cool to hear her experiences and to know that my school helped push her on the way a little bit."

Mirabella Lee was admittedly a little starstruck.

"The fact she's won Jeopardy! 23 times in a row and she's Canadian too," said the Grade 7 student.

She soon learned Roach has also dealt with some relatable real-world challenges.

"A lot of people think because she's so successful she just had it so easy her entire life but really for her coming here to say she had struggles during university, and like all people have to go through struggles," said Lee.

Roach said she may have an advantage at captivating the youthful audience, being only a handful of years older than most of the audience.

"Maybe there's a little bit more authority that I have when speaking to certain issues that concern students," she said.

Roach now lives in Toronto and hosts a podcast with a focus on Canadian politics.

She says she hopes to go to law school soon.