July 17, 2008
SAN DIEGO, Calif.
Melissa Frank
Flannery O’Connor, 28, won a lump sum of $75 million in the California Super Lottery on Friday, July 11. Currently a UCSD graduate student, she plans to move back to Indiana and start a rock & roll camp for girls in Bloomington.
O’Connor’s brother, a compulsive gambler, inspired her to purchase a ticket during his visit last week. Although Flannery claims she does not play the lotto regularly, she decided to purchase a ticket on July 7 from a 7-Eleven in Del Mar. She chose the numbers 03-07-17-25-57.
At a press conference at UCSD, O’Connor exclaimed, “I don’t really gamble. This is a total fluke!” After receiving a lump sum of money, O’Connor paid $50,000 in taxes.
Flannery is excited to create her camp. She has been an avid musician her entire life. O’Connor played classical piano for nine years before composing her own music. She noted that it was hard getting involved in bands when she was younger because she was a girl. By starting her camp, she will give girls, like herself, the opportunity to explore their love of music. O’Connor says she “wants to make a change in the world.”
O’Connor plans to spend another year in San Diego to finish her coursework in communications before creating her camp. Currently, she works as a T.A. in UCSD’s Communications Department.
