Brenda Stokes of Burlington uses family birthdays to choose her Mega Millions numbers and that strategy paid off with a $2 million win in Friday’s drawing.

“I don’t even know how to feel,” she laughed. “I’m so excited.”

Stokes won the only $2 million prize in the country in Friday’s Mega Millions drawing. The odds of matching numbers on all five white balls are 1 in 12.6 million.

“It’s a blessing,” Stokes said.

She bought her lucky $3 ticket from Philomena Inc. on South Church Street in Burlington. Her ticket matched the numbers on all five white balls to win $1 million. The prize doubled to $2 million when the 2X Megaplier hit.

“I’m still in shock,” she said.

Stokes arrived at lottery headquarters Monday to claim her prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $1,430,001.

She plans to invest her winnings and possibly take a trip.

Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing offers a $148 million annuity, or $67.8 million in cash. The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million.

For details on how $9.9 million raised by the lottery made a difference for Alamance County education programs last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.