Covington Teacher Wins $2,500 in Virginia Lottery Campaign

COVINGTON, Va. (WDBJ) – Kelly Bostic, a special education teacher at Covington Middle School, won $2,500 on May 27 as part of the Virginia Lottery‘s ‘Thank a Teacher’ campaign. Covington Middle School will also receive $2,500 in supplies thanks to this initiative.

Bostic’s name was randomly selected from nearly 25,000 entries submitted by teachers. The entries were made possible by special codes teachers received in thank-you notes from students, parents, and administrators.

The campaign coincided with National Teacher Appreciation Week, which took place from May 5 to May 9. During this week, more than 210,000 thank-you notes were sent to Virginia’s K-12 public school teachers. Each note included one of three pieces of artwork created by Virginia students who had won the ‘Thank a Teacher’ Art Contest.

Bostic was surprised with the announcement in front of her students, just two days before the school’s summer vacation began. The event highlighted the importance of appreciation for educators and the support they provide to students.

The Virginia Lottery aims to enhance public education within the state. In 2024, it generated $934 million for public schools, accounting for 10% of the state’s education budget.