AU Grad to Compete on 'The Amazing Race 16'
Jeff Schroeder of Park Ridge, right, an Aurora University graduate, will compete with his girlfriend Jordan Lloyd on CBS-TV's "The Amazing Race 16" premiering on Sunday, Feb. 14.
2/12/2010
Jeff Schroeder of Park Ridge, right, an Aurora University graduate, will compete with his girlfriend Jordan Lloyd on CBS-TV's "The Amazing Race16" premiering on Sunday, Feb. 14. AURORA, Ill. — A suburban Chicago man and Aurora University graduate will be among contestants vying for $1 million when "The Amazing Race 16" premieres on CBS at 7 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 14).
Jeff Schroeder, 31, of Park Ridge, a 2001 AU marketing graduate and three-year Spartan defensive back football player, with girlfriend Jordan Lloyd of Charlotte, N.C., will be among 11 two-person teams kicking off Amazing Race on Valentine's Day.
The race starts in Los Angeles, heads to Chile, and visits eight countries on five continents before reaching the finish line in Las Vegas.
Schroeder and Lloyd met as housemates on last summer's "Big Brother" show and became a couple after the series wrapped up.
When he's not appearing on reality shows, he sells radio advertising for an organization that places ads at stations across the nation.
He was selected for "The Amazing Race" by auditioning in a Chicago open casting call.
Schroeder said meeting Lloyd on Big Brother led to their becoming a couple in July, and later being selected for The Amazing Race. "Seeing the world as a couple, and overcoming ups and downs to have a stronger relationship at the end was the highlight of my experience," he said.
According to Schroeder, there were "lots of " fun times on the "TheAmazing Race." "It was a roller coaster of good and bad experiences, from the depths to the top of the world. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat."
The biggest surprise, he said, was the difference in "Big Brother"and "The Amazing Race." "Big Brother was like running a marathon" Schroeder said. "The Amazing Race was like a 100-yard dash. I learned I wasn't prepared for it, and it's tougher than it looks. In addition to the physical endurance required, it's not easy competing and getting along with your partner."
"The Amazing Race" was a global classroom the contestant said. "I learned I need to tone down my competitive nature, and to be not so harsh with my partner. But I wish she would kick up her competitive nature a notch. The race taught me how to travel the world andexperience different languages and deal with people."
Schroeder reflected on his AU experiences that helped him in "TheAmazing Race." "College dorm life prepared me for "Big Brother," "The Amazing Race," and life in general," he said. "I learned that life is a mix of bad and good experiences. In college and on both shows, I learned I had to get along with many people."
AU football coaches made the most lasting impressions on him Schroeder said. He listed Jim Scott, head coach; Vince McMahon, special teams coach; and Jon Cooper, defensive coordinator. "Coach Scott Iremember for teaching lessons not only in football but living asuccessful life. I still talk with former coaches and teammates on occasion," Schroeder said.
According to Schroeder, his AU academic and athletic experiences prepared him for the business world. Originally an education major at AU, he switched to marketing. "Several professors in the Dunham Schoolof Business convinced me that my outgoing personality was more suited to sales than teaching," Schroeder concluded.
Schroeder's brothers, Eric and Scott, reside in Aurora and Naperville, respectively.
Founded in 1893, Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. About 4,000 degree-seeking students are enrolled each year on the university's Illinois and Wisconsin campuses. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels.
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