Binghamton University became host to a “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” contestant Wednesday night as Scott Harrigan, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, walked away with $22,750.

Now, after two months of keeping quiet since the show was first recorded, he can share that news with the world.

“I was thrilled,” Harrigan said.

The Oyster Bay native auditioned to be on the show after viewing a taping earlier in the semester. According to Harrigan, at the end of the taping the audience members can take a test to audition for a future episode. The answers are tabulated on the spot, and those who receive a passing mark go through an interview process.

“The quiz had really random material on it, from geology to pop culture,” he said.

During the interview round, producers asked Harrigan what he would do with $1 million and for unique information about himself.

“I put I have a gigantic Lego collection, something that came up later on in the show,” Harrigan said.

A couple weeks after he auditioned, Harrigan received the call that would change his life.

“They called me at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and told me to come in at 7 a.m. on Thursday, the next day,” he said.

Despite the short notice, Harrigan’s father immediately drove up to Binghamton to get him ready for the next day.

“We managed to get back to Long Island in time, but I don’t think I got any sleep that night,” Harrigan said. “It was crazy.”

On the morning of Oct. 10, Harrigan was put into a room with the other contestants. His cell phone was confiscated to keep him from looking up any information.

“I think there were about 10 other people there,” he said. “I was definitely the youngest and I think the oldest person was 70-something.”

From 7 to 10 a.m. the contestants were prepped about things they would talk about in between questions, and signed forms to ensure they would not talk about the outcome of the show, Harrigan said.

The show aired at 5 p.m. Wednesday night on NBC. Meredith Vieira, the show’s host, spoke about Harrigan playing hooky from school before starting the questions.

The first question asked about which of the Pope’s possessions was smashed after his death, and was one of the hardest, according to Harrigan. He chose to skip over it, using one of his lifelines. But that did not stop Harrigan from moving up the ladder and reaching the $45,500 level. On his eighth question, he decided to bow out, unsure and without lifelines, which left him to back down at the $22,750 mark.

“If you don’t get to round two, there’s no milestone and you walk away with an $1,000 consolation prize, but that’s it,” Harrigan said. “It’s either risk it and give up all of it or walk away, so I’m glad I didn’t try and guess.”

Harrigan brought his mother Eileen, father Bryan and grandmother to the taping. According to Harrigan, his mother was screaming at the top of her lungs at the results. She had auditioned for “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” in the past, but had not been selected.

Harrigan seems to have game shows in his blood. His grandmother was once a contestant on the game show “Password.”

His mother Eileen said she knew he would make it on the show.

“When the show first came on he downloaded the logo and made the millionaire set out of legos,” Eileen Harrigan said. “So from that point on I said when he gets old enough he has to try out for the show.”

Once Harrigan was faced with the outcome of his winnings, the question changed from one about the Pope’s possessions to what to do with more than $20,000.

According to Vieira, he promised his suitemates a flat-screen television, something the two laughed about on the show.

“We’re still talking about the TV,” Harrigan said. “I did promise though so I think that’s going to happen.”

Except for the TV, and possibly a new laptop or flying lessons for himself, Harrigan plans to devote the majority of the money to tuition.

“It’s probably the biggest check I’ll ever get in my life,” Harrigan said. “My parents are thrilled, we basically get to write off a year.”

To celebrate the win, Harrigan plans to have a “Millionaire” party.

“We’re going to invite all his friends over who are still at school and decorate the house with ‘Millionaire’ logos,” Eileen Harrigan said.

According to Harrigan, he would like to go into aviation and design airplanes in the future.

“I went from worrying about the first day of classes to thinking what I’m going to do with 20 grand,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen the next day.”