A Mississippi State alumna went to California to hang out with friends and ended up winning on “The Price Is Right.” Melanie Trosclair-Dykes attended Mississippi State from 1993 to 1997. She received her degree in business administration, participated in the Delta Gamma sorority and helped out as an Orientation Leader. Since she finished school, she has worked for marketing agencies, taught school and has gotten married. She decided to go visit some old friends in California last fall. Since she grew up watching “The Price Is Right,” she wanted to try to get on the show.
“I’ve watched ‘The Price Is Right’ since I was eight years old,” Trosclair-Dykes said. “I remember watching it with my mother during the summers every morning. I always dreamed that I was on the show when I watched it. When the opportunity arrived to be on the show, I had to take advantage of it.”
Trosclair-Dykes had to wake up at 5 a.m. and wait in line outside “The Price Is Right” studio. After she received her ticket, the producers of the show interviewed her and everyone else with a ticket. She said that it was a very interesting process.
“I sat outside for nearly three hours waiting to get a ticket,” Trosclair-Dykes said. “Then I was interviewed by different people asking me where I was from, what I did and how old I was. I was wearing a Mississippi State shirt so they knew right away that I was a Mississippi girl. There were so many people from the West Coast there. I think being from the South definitely helped me get selected to be on the show.”
Trosclair-Dykes waited throughout the first half of the show until she finally heard her name to “come on down.”
Trosclair-Dykes just got married within the last year. She didn’t recognize her name when they called it out.
“I was so used to hearing Melanie Trosclair all of my life that I couldn’t recognize my name when they called it out,” Trosclair-Dykes said. “I was shocked when I finally recognized that they were calling my name.”
Trosclair-Dykes outbid everyone else to win a washer and dryer. After winning the washer and dryer, Trosclair-Dykes won a trip to Hawaii by playing a game called Pushover.
Then Trosclair-Dykes headed onto the Showcase Showdown, where she had an interesting encounter with another contestant, a 91-year-old woman. While she tried to spin the wheel, she fell down. Trosclair-Dykes came right behind her and helped her up.
“She was so sweet of a lady,” Trosclair-Dykes said. “She had her birthday that day and brought along her daughter and granddaughter to celebrate. I had to help her out. Anybody would have done it.”
Trosclair-Dykes proceeded to win the Showcase Showdown. Then she went on to win the grand prize by outbidding the other contestant. Included among her prizes were a saxophone, a computer and a hovercraft.
“I couldn’t believe that I won,” Trosclair-Dykes said. “The whole thing seemed like a dream. I was actually on stage with Bob Barker.”
Trosclair-Dykes said that she learned that anyone can fulfill their dreams. She never believed that she would have this opportunity. It truly became a once in a lifetime opportunity in more ways than one.
“After I won,” Trosclair-Dykes said, “I had to sign a sheet saying that I would never participate again on ‘The Price Is Right.’ I still have a few more game shows that I want to give a shot anyway. This whole experience was so amazing.”
Trosclair-Dykes highly advises anyone to take part in “The Price Is Right” if they have the opportunity.
“I highly encourage everyone to experience something like this at some point in your life,” Trosclair-Dykes said. “If you can get on ‘The Price Is Right,’ it is definitely worth it. Bob Barker is so nice and the whole experience was unreal. It was definitely worth it for me.”
*Editor’s note: Melanie Trosclair-Dykes’ victorious appearance on “The Price Is Right” aired Friday, Oct. 25, 2002.