By Ann W. Parks

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Sophia Heller (L’11) has many things she’d like to accomplish, including three goals unrelated to her day-to-day life as a rising Georgetown Law 2L. One: Get a dog. Two: Write a book. Three: Win a recording of NPR personality Carl Kasell answering her voice mail.

On August 15, Heller achieved Goal Number 3 when she became a call-in contestant on the NPR radio show “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” In true lawyer style, she correctly answered all three questions fired off at her one by one — meaning that one of Kasell’s famous messages will soon be playing on her phone.

A few days after her victory, she was still deciding what she wanted the “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me” judge to say. (Winners write their desired message to NPR, so that Kasell can do the recording; messages have ranged from Kasell singing “Oklahoma” to pretending he’s trapped in the contestant’s house.)

She was leaning towards a pseudo-newscast — but says it can’t be too over the top, because she’ll soon be applying for jobs. Still, employers who call can only be impressed. After all, she knew the answers to questions not only about the health care debate and Secretary of State Clinton, but also one relating to Woodstock, on the 40th anniversary of that event.

With that kind of success, the dog and the book can’t be far behind. She’s already published a PhD. dissertation in the field of mythological studies, so maybe a work on law and myth is in her future. But for now, it’s one thing at a time.

“I’m such a big fan of the show — I'll plan my weekend around it even though you can listen to a podcast at any time,” Heller says. “So I’m thrilled to have been on it and to be able to say that the dream of having Carl Kasell on my voice mail has come true.”

The show can be heard at the NPR Web site at http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=35