Mount Airy resident Yuridia Gallegos-Echavarrieta received a scratch-off present from her grandfather, a gift that became a $250,000 surprise.

“I think I was in shock,” Echavarrieta recalled.

Echavarrieta, a high school senior who plans to start college next fall, said she won the prize just a couple months after her 18th birthday.

“I didn’t believe I actually won,” she said. “We had to go back to the gas station to check it.”

Her grandfather bought the lucky $5 Power 5s ticket from the Speedway on Rockford Street in Mount Airy. She told her grandfather about her big win right away.

“He was like, ‘That’s awesome,’” Echavarrieta recalled.

She arrived at lottery headquarters Thursday to claim her prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $178,126.

Echavarrieta said she plans to invest her winnings.

The Power 5s game debuted in October with six $250,000 top prizes. Three $250,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

During the holiday season, Play Smart, Gift Smart raises awareness that lottery tickets are not appropriate gifts for kids as part of a national gift responsibly campaign. Research shows that the earlier someone participates in or is exposed to gambling, the more likely they are to develop a gambling problem later in life. Check out our blog to learn more.