ONE NSU MAGAZINE GAME SHOW GURU Turning a childhood obsession into an esteemed career as a television executive is something Mandel Ilagan couldn’t have fathomed when he was growing up in South Florida. Ilagan, vice president of game shows for Sony Pictures Television (SPT), relishes going to work each day and working with the SPT team to develop and produce original shows, along with reboots and spinoffs of its classic titles. Come on down!” That three-word phrase, which the announcer of The Price Is Right excitedly utters each time a new contestant is selected from the audience to participate in the popular game show, always thrilled Mandel Ilagan, a 1995 NSU University School alumnus who spent much of his youth watching and recreating game show moments with his family and friends. Ilagan, who turned his childhood obsession into a thriving career as a television executive in Los Angeles, California, still can’t quite believe he earns a handsome paycheck to work in a field he’s always loved. “I grew up being a fan of unscripted shows, especially game shows,” Ilagan said. “My first memories of TV were watching The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, The $25,000 “ 33
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