GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Greensboro teenager who won the state's second vaccine lottery scholarship is excited about her next steps.
16-year-old Jessica Klima earned $125,000 in scholarship money in North Carolina’s Summer Cash 4 School drawing.
"I still can't believe it," her mother, Joanna Klima, said, "We were jumping, we were screaming, we were crying because this is a big, big surprise."
Jessica and Joanna Klima sat down with WFMY News 2's Grace Holland after returning from the drawing.
Joanna Klima said they learned the news when they got a phone call from North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen.
The family moved to Greensboro five years ago from New Jersey, where Jessica and her little sister were born.
Her parents immigrated from Poland. Her dad works as a truck driver and her mom stays at home.
"When I saw parents get vaccinated, I decided to get vaccinated, to protect myself and others, even my family," Jessica Klima said.
The rising junior said remote learning does not bother her, and she chose to stay at home instead of return to in-person classes during spring semester.
The decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine came down to keeping her mom healthy.
"If I get COVID-19. I don't think I will make it because I have a heart problem. A serious heart problem," Joanna Klima said.
Jessica got her first dose of the vaccine in late June. She's scheduled to get her second dose next week.
Her mom said she feels safer now that she, her husband and her oldest daughter have the vaccine. The scholarship brings a different peace of mind about Jessica's future.
She wants to be a physical therapist after watching her dad heal from a car accident when she was younger.
"It helps a lot because when I get into that college I don't have to pay for that money alone," Jessica Klima said.
She advocates for others to make the choice to get theirs too.
"They will have protection to protect themselves and others, stop the spread of the virus," she said.
Jessica Klima doesn't want to go far when she goes to college. She hopes to attend North Carolina A&T University.
There are still two more chances to win that scholarship or that million-dollar prize. The third drawing will take place on July 21.