A Bedford County educator walked into school and walked out with $2.5K and a major gift for her classroom

BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. — A Virginia first-grade teacher expecting nothing more than another school day was suddenly surprised with a cash prize and classroom support after a thank-you note turned into a winning lottery moment.

Nicolette Dishman, a first-grade teacher at New London Academy in Bedford County, was named the grand prize winner in the Virginia Lottery’s Thank a Teacher campaign, according to lottery officials.

Dishman received $2,500 in cash through the Virginia Lottery and its partners, Brightstar Lottery and NeoPollard Interactive.

Her school, New London Academy, will also receive a $2,500 credit for school supplies through program partner The Supply Room.

Lottery officials said Dishman’s entry was randomly selected from thousands of educators across Virginia who entered the drawing using unique codes included on Thank a Teacher appreciation notes.

The Virginia Lottery surprised the teacher with the news during a special presentation at the school on May 21.

According to the Virginia Lottery, the Thank a Teacher campaign is held annually during National Teacher Appreciation Week and encourages Virginians to send thank-you notes to K-12 public school teachers throughout the Commonwealth.

Each note includes artwork created by Virginia students through the Thank a Teacher Art Contest along with a unique entry code for prize drawings.

Lottery officials said more than one million thank-you notes have been delivered to teachers statewide since the program launched in 2016.

This year alone, a record 225,650 appreciation notes were distributed to educators across Virginia.

The Virginia Lottery said all profits support K-12 public education across the state. Bedford County Public Schools received more than $7.3 million in lottery funding for education during the last fiscal year.

In Fiscal Year 2025, the Virginia Lottery generated more than $901 million for K-12 public education statewide.

Key Points

Bedford County teacher Nicolette Dishman won a $2.5K Virginia Lottery prize
New London Academy also received $2.5K in school supply funding

The prize came through the Virginia Lottery’s Thank a Teacher campaign