Brother Jack McKenna (Purdue), a junior at Purdue University majoring in electrical and computer engineering, recently captured national attention as a contestant on the second season of Amazon Prime Video’s hit reality competition series Beast Games, hosted by YouTube creator MrBeast. The high-stakes series features massive physical, mental, and strategic challenges with a $5 million winner-take-all prize—one of the largest purses in reality television.
McKenna was selected from more than 400,000 applicants to be among just 200 contestants competing in the season. Known on the show by the nickname “Child Genius” for his youth and analytical mindset, he advanced deep into the competition and ultimately finished sixth overall, earning $45,000 in prize money.
Throughout the season, McKenna balanced the excitement of national television with the realities of campus life. While filming the show for more than a month, contestants had no access to the outside world—no phones, no contact with friends or family, and no sense of time, creating an intense environment where relationships and alliances formed quickly. To maintain secrecy during the fall semester, McKenna told friends he was participating in a medical research study, as production communications referred to the show only as “summer camp.”
Back at Purdue, his brothers in Beta Zeta Chapter rallied behind him by hosting weekly watch parties at the chapter house, bringing members together to cheer him on as he progressed through each round of the competition.
In an interview with the university, McKenna said the greatest lesson he learned was perseverance. “I faced moments on the show that felt devastating — like failing a final, times a thousand,” he explained. “You regroup; you come back stronger. That mindset applies directly to engineering. You’re not always going to ace every exam, but what matters is how you respond.”
For McKenna, the opportunity itself was the greatest reward. Being selected from such a massive applicant pool allowed him to test himself physically, mentally, and socially in ways few people ever experience. “Over 400,000 people applied and only 200 made it,” he said. “To experience something like that at my age is something I’ll never take for granted.”
He also credits his time at Purdue with helping him develop the confidence needed to compete on such a public stage. “Putting yourself out there and being authentic on camera is scary—but I didn’t want to look back and feel like I wasn’t myself.”
With the competition now behind him, McKenna returns his focus to engineering studies and campus life—though his unforgettable run on Beast Games will remain a point of pride for Beta Zeta brothers and Purdue fans alike.
