UCSD Graduate Student Wins Jackpot

7/17/08
SAN DIEGO, Calif.
Devin Weil
UCSD graduate student, Flannery O’Connor won the $75 million California Super Lottery on July 11, 2008. She described the winning as a fluke because she never gambles.
Four days before the announcement of the lottery, Ms. O’Connor purchased the lottery ticket with her brother. She said, “He’s a gambler. Whenever we stop at a gas station he wants to get a lotto ticket.”
While Ms. O’Conner’s brother helped her buy the winning lottery ticket, she picked the winning numbers herself. The winning numbers were 03-07-17-25-57. Each number on her ticket had a special significance. Ms. O’Connor said, “Three and seven are my favorite numbers. 17 is my mom’s birthday. 25 is my dad’s birthday and my mom is 57.” After taxes, Ms. O’Conner recieved $74,950,000.
Ms. O’Connor plans to create a rock & roll camp for girls in Bloomington, Ind. She said, “I have been a musician my entire life.” Throughout her college career, Ms. O’Connor has been involved in at least four bands and has played classical piano for nine years.
About her musically inclined community in Bloomington, Ind. Ms. O’Connor said, “Bloomington is a really artistic community and a lot of musicians will want to get involved.” Bloomington is where Ms. O’Connor started playing in rock bands during her undergraduate studies at the University of Indiana.
The 28-year-old graduate student from Pacific Beach intends to finish this year at UCSD and then pursue her research the following year in Indiana. Ms. O’Connor said, “I will stick around in San Diego for another year to finish my course work, and then in the next year take off for Indiana and do my research.”
In conclusion she said, “I never thought this would happen.”

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