Teen wins $100,000 lottery prize on first ticket she ever bought

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- UNCW student won a nice 19th birthday gift after buying her first lottery ticket: $100,000.

Laniah Ashley, a freshman at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, was back home in Clinton for spring break. While out with her grandparents for Chinese food on her birthday Wednesday, she bought a $20 100X The Cash scratch-off ticket, the North Carolina Education Lottery says on its website.

"It was my first time ever buying a ticket," Ashley said. "I thought the colors on the ticket looked pretty so I chose that one."

Back at her grandparents' house, Ashley scratched the ticket. They were all at the table when she realized she won.

"At first I kept it to myself because I didn't want to sound crazy," Ashley said. "I was too excited to believe it was true. I kept looking at the numbers and reading the rules over and over again. I was too stunned to speak."

After taxes, she received $71,016.

The biology major, who plans to attend medical school, said she'll use the money for school and to help her grandparents.

Editor's note: The video in this story is from a previous report about how to improve your chances to win scratch-off lottery tickets.

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