Photo: Khosrork/iStock/Getty Images
A lucky North Carolina teacher recently scored a major lottery win — and it comes at exactly the right time.
Tonya Carter, of Warrenton, stopped by the On The Mark on U.S. 158 Business West last week where she took a chance and picked up a $10 ticket in the Jumbo Bucks game, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery.
"I've only played the lottery once or twice before," she said. "My friends did always tell me that if I played, I would be the one to win."
And win she did, scoring one of the game's top $1 million prizes, a result that she is still wrapping her head around.
"I didn't believe it," she said. "I'm still in shock."
Carter claimed her prize at lottery headquarters on Friday (July 18), choosing to receive her prize as either an annuity of $50,000 over the course of 20 years or as a one time, lump sum payment of $600,000. She ended up choosing the latter, taking home a total of $430,503 after all required state and federal tax withholdings.
The win comes at the perfect time, too, as she told lottery officials she was preparing to undergo a medical procedure and could use the extra funds.
"I'm going to have surgery next week, so I wanted to try to get some extra money to help with that," she said, adding that she also plans to use her winnings to help move.