After a busy morning of running errands, Talia Pagan of East Haven was unusually hungry, prompting her to make an early stop to pick up a sandwich at Stop & Go on 526 Main Street in East Haven. While there, the 20 year old dental office receptionist noticed the CT Lottery "Fortune Cookie" instant ticket, and it really captured her attention. “I like horoscopes and psychology, so I thought that Fortune Cookie would be a fun game to play,” Pagan explained.

Pagan began to play by first scratching the "Lucky Numbers" area on the ticket to reveal two numbers. A few more short strokes of a coin, and Pagan discovered a number match for a winning combination, and a $10,000 top prize. "I really couldn’t believe it," Pagan told Lottery officials. "I immediately called my boyfriend to tell him I won $10,000, but he thought I was kidding."

Shortly after, Pagan arrived at Lottery Headquarters to accept her check for $6,850 (prize value after taxes). When asked of plans for her prize, Pagan, who is also a part-time student at Gateway Community College in North Haven, quickly replied, "I’m going to put the money right into my son’s savings account."