Sam Kavanaugh

Sam Kavanaugh continues to dominate his opponents on "Jeopardy!", winning his fifth consecutive game Tuesday to bring his total winnings to $156,202.

Kavanaugh, a native of Carlton, Minnesota, who now teaches in Minneapolis, won going away with $42,201 in Tuesday's contest.

At one point during his streak, show host Alex Trebek asked Kavanaugh what his senior thesis was about. The answer: Minneapolis Zombie Pub Crawl.

He'll go for six straight wins Wednesday as he attempts to outsmart a graduate student from Vancouver, British Columbia and a journalist from Arlington, Virginia. The episode will air locally in most Minnesota locations on NBC at 4:30 p.m.

Kavanaugh is the son of two Duluth schoolteachers and a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He used his growing Twitter platform on Wednesday to applaud his parents and promote "equitable opportunity" to all.

"Much of my success and happiness can be traced back to my parents, two of the most courageous, curious, and kind people I know. In their pursuit of opportunity and family, they each crossed oceans and cultures.

"I am the continuation of two stories of immigrants. My Mum, who left her homeland for her sons, found love & support in her new home and gave it her heart & her sweat in return. And my Dad, whose ancestors escaped famine & death and found opportunity & stability in the US.

"At times they struggled, but they overcame. They found themselves foreigners in strange lands, but they reached out to the local people who were unlike them, and found out that they were, in fact, very much alike.

"As thousands of their students can attest, my parents worked tirelessly in service of a greater Truth: every person contains an inalienable dignity, and deserves an equitable opportunity.

Encouraging a person's essential individuality builds excellence in that person, & our larger community. Knowledge requires curiosity which requires courage & the desire to reach out to others. Diversity is our strength, and fear & cowardice are the greatest enemies we have."