PHHS Teacher and Daughter Win Big on Oprah

Just being in the audience for the 25th and final season premiere of The Oprah Winfrey Show was enough for Linda and Sarah Haller.

They hardly expected to be chosen to travel with Winfrey and 298 other fans to Australia this December. Not only would the trip last for more than eight days, but John Travolta would be flying the jet.

Linda, 55, a teacher at Perry Hall High School, and her daughter, Sarah, 27, a PR & Publications Coordinator for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, were among the 300 viewers in attendance for Monday's season premiere of the syndicated daytime talk show hosted by the former WJZ-TV anchor.

The lead-up was full of screams. Winfrey drew out the introduction of the prize, pausing frequently to allow the audience to voice their excitement.

"After all, this really is my 25th season," Winfrey said. "And this is really my last
chance to do something really big."

A Qantas plane suddenly rolled out on stage.

"We were just screaming," Linda said. "The Qantas plane comes out, and she
says we're going to Australia. And all I'm thinking is 'Are we going now? I can't go
right now!' It was really cool how they did it."

Monday's episode was taped on Thursday, Sept. 9, though audience members were not allowed to disclose the prize they received before the show aired.

Linda attended the show as one of the 150 winners of the "Oprah's Ultimate Viewer" contest. Linda and her daughter thought they were among only a few "Ultimate Viewers" in the audience. The Hallers were seated in the back row.

"The studio was smaller than it looks on TV," Sarah said. "We were still only
50 feet away from Oprah, even though we were in the back row."

While she didn't get to meet Winfrey on set, Sarah hopes that the trip will give her another opportunity.

"I've always wanted to go to Australia, but I never knew if I'd be able to, just because it's a big expense," she said. "Being able to go with my mom is really good,
because I don't know if she would have gotten off the ground. She's afraid of flying.
It was hard enough getting her to Chicago."

Several staff members at Perry Hall High School watched the episode in anticipation.

"I sent an e-mail that told them I was sworn to secrecy," Linday said. "They
are all watching. There is a crab feast after school [Monday], but anybody that is not going to the crab feast is watching Oprah. They're pretty excited for me."