BALTIMORE, MD — A retired Baltimore teacher and his former middle school student were reunited in an unexpected way after both won 2025 Baltimore Ravens season tickets through the Maryland Lottery’s Ravens Second-Chance Promotion.
John Kirby, a construction worker from Brooklyn Park, was one of two winners selected on October 15 for the prize, which includes a pair of upper-level season tickets, parking passes for each game, and $250 in Ravens Bucks for food and merchandise. When Kirby saw the name of the other winner, he immediately recognized it as Alex Wroblewski, his former teacher from Francis Scott Key Middle School in Baltimore.
The two had not had a full conversation since Kirby was a sixth-grader in the early 2000s, though Kirby occasionally saw Wroblewski in passing at local stores. They reunited at Maryland Lottery headquarters to claim their prizes and catch up.
“He was strict, but we learned and got stuff done,” Kirby said, reflecting on his time in Wroblewski’s class, which included lessons in computer typing. Wroblewski, who retired in 2010 after decades of teaching, said he often runs into former students and enjoys seeing them succeed.
“I loved what I did. It brings a smile to my face when I see a former student doing well,” Wroblewski said. Adding to the coincidence, Kirby believes his mother was once a student in Wroblewski’s math class in the 1980s.
Both winners will enjoy their 2025 Ravens season tickets alongside a remarkable shared memory of their lottery win.