WALTHAM — “Excited” is an understatement for how Nicole Jax felt when she was called to “come on down” on the set of “The Price is Right.”

“I basically blacked out mentally,” said the lifelong Waltham resident. “I was so excited.”

Jax will appear on the game show at 10 a.m. Tuesday on broadcast channel 3, KIMT. She attended a taping on Jan. 8 in Los Angeles and was chosen from the audience to compete. For her, it was a long-awaited opportunity.

“When I was younger, my grandpa and I would watch it every morning,” she said. “It’s been kind of a life goal to be on the show.”

Jax, a South Dakota State University student, had her chance when about 30 students from the school’s Dairy Club took a trip to California. They were touring large dairies of more than 5,000 cattle and studying how each was run. The final two days of the trip were set aside as “fun days,” so the group used the opportunity to get on the show.

“We got really good seats right behind the bidders,” she said, adding she expects her group will be visible in the background when viewers watch it on TV.

When her name was called, Jax said she was flooded with excitement. Though she had been on the local news for her involvement with FFA and the county fair, she had never made a national broadcast before. But there was no time for her to digest the news she would be a contestant.

“They started the show right away,” she said. “You have to collect yourself to think about what you want to bid.”

During a commercial break, Jax had an opportunity to chat with host Drew Carey, who asked her about her life. She explained that she was a student who was a member of the Dairy Club and paid for college by working in a dairy bar scooping ice cream. She’s also been named a Dairy Princess in Mower County. Carey was quick to point out how “everything’s dairy in my life,” Jax laughed.

Being on the show was different from watching it on TV, she said. The crew rolled out podiums, games and carpets to change the set.

“The studio is a lot smaller than you think it is,” Jax said. “They do a really good job making it look huge.” The rooms where the cars are displayed are no bigger than a dorm room, she added.

Jax was unable to reveal how she did on the show or any prizes she had won before the program airs Tuesday.

Those looking for a chance to attend a taping of the show can find free tickets at priceisright.com/tickets or call the CBS ticket office at 855-447-7423.