Ahead of a $1 billion Powerball weekend, a Chula Vista woman reflected on her five wins in lottery games over the past decade or so.
“I ask people [if they play the lottery] and they say ‘No, I never win.’ and I say, 'Not with an attitude like that, you’re not!” said Leonar Mendell.
Mendell is a single mom and a Chula Vista native who has won more than $10,500 in the lottery, mostly through scratch-off tickets. Her first big win was in 2018, when she won the lottery for $10,000 at the liquor store just down the street from her home.
“You have to feel it, then you’re going to win. That’s when I go to the store, and I say 'I feel like I’m going to win today,'” Mendell said.
She says she has used the money to fix up the home she inherited from her parents, like redoing some of the walls in her home and redoing the countertops in her home as well.
“It feels good because I’m not spending it on dumb stuff,” Mendell said.
The next Powerball drawing is scheduled for 7:59 p.m. PT Saturday. Learn more on the official Powerball website here.
