North Carolina Woman's $200,000 Win Will Help Her Achieve Her Dreams

A woman in North Carolina plans to put her new lottery win to use, finally achieving a dream she has hoped to reach for a long time.

Paola Guerrero-Alonso, of Salisbury, recently tried her hand at the lottery by purchasing a $5 Sapphire 7s ticket from the Speedway on South Main Street, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. The 28-year-old translator couldn't believe her luck when the ticket revealed she had won one of the game's top prizes of $200,000.

"We couldn't believe it when we saw the ticket," said Guerrero-Alonso. "We're still not sure it's real."

Guerrero-Alonso claimed her prize at lottery headquarters on Thursday (August 18), bringing home a grand total of $142,021 after required state and federal tax withholdings. When asked what she plans to do with her winnings, she told lottery officials that she has always had a dream of investing in real estate, something she believes she can now look into.

"We've wanted to buy some for a long time," she said. "Maybe remodel a house and rent it out."

According to lottery officials, Guerrero-Alonso claimed the last of the game's six top prizes, meaning the state lottery will begin ending the game.