Sam Macken is an orchestral musician from Boulder, Colorado. Moreover, he is a contestant in the 41st season of America’s syndicated trivia game show, Jeopardy!
Macken’s debut episode on Jeopardy! airs on 21 May 2025. He shared the exciting news on his Facebook account, writing,
One of my lifelong dreams has come true, and I’ve been keeping this secret for a while! I had the opportunity to film for Jeopardy! a while ago, and I will be on the show Wednesday, May 21st on whatever station airs the show near you! I had SUCH an amazing time doing this. The entire production staff were literally the best, and @whoiskenjennings is absolutely the GOAT. Thank you so much to @jeopardy and @sonypicturestv for making this dream a reality, and please tune in on 5/21/25 to see how I do! #jeopardy #trivia
In his debut episode, Macken will share the stage with the returning champion, Brendan Liaw. The graduate student and stay-at-home son from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, added $13,599 to his purse following his debut victory on Tuesday.
Macken is ready to make his debut on Jeopardy! on 21 May 2025 (Source: Macken’s Instagram)
Likewise, Macken will compete against a graduate student from New York, New York, Romy Negrin.
Can Macken make the most out of his Jeopardy! debut on Wednesday? Don’t miss out on the new episode airing tonight!
Meanwhile, let’s learn about Sam Macken’s personal and professional life details!
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Sam Macken Wiki, Age, and Family
Macken is 27 years old, born in 1997. His full name is Samuel J Macken.
Macken grew up in his hometown of Rose, Oklahoma. Currently, he resides in Boulder, Colorado.
Talking about his family, Macken was raised by his parents, Kenneth Macken, age 63, and Malia Martin Macken, age 62. He is of American nationality and white ethnicity.
Macken completed his high school education at Claremore High School and Glenwood High School. He then studied Music Performance- Bassoon at the University of Tulsa.
Furthermore, Macken graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Master of Music in Bassoon in 2022. Since 22 August 2022, he has been studying Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder.
What Is Sam Macken’s Job?
Macken is an orchestral musician. He has been working at the Colorado Symphony since 20 March 2025.
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Likewise, Macken has been serving as a Bassoon studio teaching assistant at the University of Colorado Boulder since 22 August 2022. He is also active as a second Bassoon at the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra & Symphonic Choir.
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Is Sam Macken Dating?
Macken is in a relationship with Julie Mitchener. Julie, a graduate of Bixby High School, is a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Sam and his girlfriend, Julie, have known each other for years now (Source: Macken’s Facebook)
Macken’s girlfriend studies English Language and Literature at the University of Tulsa. She has been serving as an assistant director of Admissions for the Honors College at the University of Tulsa since 1 August 2023.
