Madison O’Neill won the Celebrity Face Race
February 2026 – Drew University junior Madison O’Neill C’27 recently appeared in an episode of the daytime talk show Sherri, winning the Celebrity Face Race audience game.
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O’Neill first visited the set of Sherri as part of the New York Semester on Communications and Media.
A Drew alum, Kristen Oakley C’21, currently works on Sherri and arranged for the class to sit in on a live taping and meet with the host. Students also met members of the audience team, which allowed O’Neill to sign up to have a chance to come back and play a game on the show.
Two weeks later, O’Neill got a call to compete. O’Neill and her mom went to the following live taping where O’Neill won the Celebrity Face Race, winning two tickets on the New York City Cruise Line.
For O’Neill, the fun she had on the show was just part of the New York Semester experience.
“The New York Semester on Communications and Media is one of the best experiences I’ve had at Drew so far,” said O’Neill.
The class has taken a number of trips around New York City, visiting museums like the Met and Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); iconic media spaces like the Paley Center; and the set of Saturday Night Live, thanks to another connection with a Drew alum, Katie Higgins C’22, who works on set.
“Getting to see behind-the-scenes action was one of the most beneficial experiences of my time here,” added O’Neill. “It opened my eyes to the number of jobs involved in production. Being immersed in these spaces helped me explore what areas of media I would like to pursue in the future.”
