Connected in mind and nervous hearts, three Sacred Hearts Academy students went head-to-head with two high schools for an episode of “It’s Academic Hawaii.”

Hosted by Hawaii News Now’s Billy V, the game-show type program is meant to “be an academic showcase for our public and private high schools, in the hope of bringing the kind of acclaim generally reserved for football heroes to the arena of academic achievement,” according to the official website.

Seniors Janelle Lauronal, Kailanianna Ablog and junior Katherine Christian participated in the competition, testing out their wits alongside students from Kauai High School and Kalani High School.

Each episode features three teams from three different high schools. They answer trivia-type questions to earn points. The team that garners the most points by the end of the show advances to the next level, in the hopes of becoming the overall winner.

Lauronal remembers how her nervousness led her to an invaluable learning experience.

“In the beginning of filming, I was afraid of being judged for not answering correctly or for just being me,” Lauronal said.  “As we filmed, though, I learned that we were all making mistakes, and in the end, no one cares that you answered something incorrectly.”

To prepare, the students practiced with flashcards, played the popular game “Jeopardy!” and watched previous episodes of the show.

Lauronal encourages fellow students to participate in the show.

“I think that the school should encourage more students to do this next year,” Lauronal said. “It’s a good experience that doesn’t take up a lot of time in your busy schedule.”

The Academy’s episode, along with other episodes filmed for season six, will air in May on KFVE.