Mariner grad had the price all right

Published 12:01 am Monday, March 14, 2011

Tavis Dickerson knows the price of hair color, garbage bags and orange juice.

He successfully named the three items as being more expensive than Greek yogurt, a loaf of bread and cheese chips on an episode of the long-running game show, “The Price is Right,” that aired last week.

He did this and won a new bedroom set and a year of maid service — a prize package worth almost $11,300.

Dickerson, a 2006 graduate of Mariner High School, said he grew up watching “The Price is Right” when Bob Barker was the host. He never thought he would one day be a contestant, even after he moved to Los Angeles last summer to attend Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

He had the opportunity though in February when his mother, Kim Dickerson of Everett, and her sisters, Ramona Livingston and Michele Smith, took a trip to visit him in Los Angeles. Kim Dickerson purchased tickets before leaving Everett to the show which was taped Feb. 9.

She was sure then that she would be in the studio audience along with her sisters, but she didn’t know if her son, who is studying to be a pediatrician, would be able to miss class for the taping.

“He wasn’t even sure he could come,” she said.

Dickerson, 23, was surprised when he was called to, “Come on down!”

“I really didn’t think I’d be chosen because they do group interviews and then only talk to each person for less than a minute so I didn’t really think I had done anything super spectacular in that one minute but I guess they liked me,” he said.

Dickerson said seeing himself on television was exciting. He took a study break along with a group of his classmates to watch the episode and called home to talk with his mother when it was over.

“We just laughed about how funny and exciting it was. There weren’t really words to describe it,” Dickerson said. “I’m glad that the camera showed her in the audience though so she could get some air time as well.”

Although he is satisfied with his brief brush with fame, Dickerson said it would have been nice to win the car another contestant won after outbidding him by a dollar.

“That was kind of a bummer, but I’m still happy I had the opportunity to be on the show, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy my prizes,” he said.

Dickerson added that he plans to keep the bedroom set and give the year of maid service to his mother.

“I live in a house with other medical students,” he said. “I think we could probably use it but she could use it more than I could.”

Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.

Watch Tavis Dickerson on ‘Price is Right’

The “Price is Right” episode with 2006 Mariner High School graduate, Tavis Dickerson, can be viewed on “The Price is Right” website at www.cbs.com/daytime/the_price_is_right/.