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Teacher inspires students with Jeopardy dreams

Christopher Pae really likes coming up with questions. Just ask Alex Trebek.

LILBURN, Ga. -- Christopher Pae really likes coming up with questions.

Just ask Alex Trebek. Pae snagged a spot onthe Jeopardy Teacher Tournament last November to the delight of his students at Berkmar High School.

It's also not surprising Pae coaches the academic decathlon team, where students have to know something about a lot of different topics.

"You study art, you study economics, you study music, you study a book, you study literature, math, social science and science," said Pae.

Academic coaches don't get any better than Christopher Pae.

Competing on Jeopardy wason his bucket list.

"I just wanted to be on a game show," said Pae. "I watched Jeopardy in elementary, middle school. I loved watching Jeopardy. I loved trying to answer the questions."

So did his students.

"That was so awesome. I was like 'Coach Pae's on TV' and I thought Coach Pae was killing it, I was like, 'You go, Coach Pae,'" said Wala Hassan, a senior and member of the academic decathlon team.

"I was doing well until about ¾ into the show and I couldn't ring in the last 10, 12 clues. I knew about half the clues those clues and I couldn't ring in," said Pae.

"I think it motivated me because if Mr. Pae, one of my teachers was able to be on TV, I was pretty inspired to do so," said Emerson Salmeron Rubio.

He ignited an excitement in the school and Lilburn community because Christopher Pae not only teaches at Berkmar, he's a proud graduate.

"I was a decathlete here for three years at Berkmar under my old Coach Ivy Bray," said Pae.

The academic decathlon team under his leadership won first in the state six years in the row and second for the past four years.

Coach Pae's passion for learning rubs off on students.

"I tell my kids that dreams can come true. Dream big. Dream hard. Even though I didn't do well, I got to my goal of just being on the show," said Pae.

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