Knebel was announced as the first bonus prize winner for 2022. She finished with $112,000 in cash winnings. She then advanced to the bonus round and captured the $100,000 grand prize after she correctly guessed the final puzzle. In the early round, Knebel won a trip to the Caribbean and $5,000 cash. Moreover, she astonished friends, family and coworkers by winning big. 25, the woman who grew up watching Pat Sajak and Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune with her mom, Christine Singer, in Schenectady, N.Y., got her wish to appear on the show. Over the last 30 years, Ilene Singer Knebel ’84, an executive assistant for the City of Beverly Hills, California, auditioned to be a contestant on the popular game show Wheel of Fortune about half a dozen times.