For his 9th birthday, Jeffrey Vincent of Stem didn’t ask for gifts for himself. Instead, he asked for books to donate to the library at Falls Lake Academy in Granville County.

Jeffrey got a wish list from the library and with the help of gifts from his friends and family collected all 31 books.

“Jeffrey grew up knowing that reading is the gateway to his imagination,” said Jeffrey’s step-father, Patrick Vincent. “He wanted other students at his school to embrace reading as much as he does.”

Vincent shared the story of Jeffrey’s book project in the lottery’s N.C. Proud Moments in Education contest, becoming one of ten people to win $20,000. Some of the money will be donated to the school’s library, he said, and the rest invested in a college savings fund.

“He reminds all of us daily that life is about moments that make a positive impact on others,” Vincent said. “The act of giving is contagious, and this proud moment not only furthers our school’s love for reading and education, but creates inspiration for others.”

Vincent said Jeffrey learned to help others when his father died from lung cancer. “He saw how the community banded together for him and his mother during their time of need,” he said. “Losing his father shaped him into who he is today.”

In the N.C. Proud Moments contest, the Education Lottery asked North Carolinians to share their proudest moments in education and how they would use $20,000 to create more proud moments. The lottery received hundreds of moving responses. A panel of judges chose 10 winners from the 100 entries that got the most votes. The contest helped mark the lottery’s 10th anniversary as it raises money to support education programs in North Carolina. Since 2006, the lottery has raised more than $4.6 billion. The winners’ submissions and a video featuring their stories are posted on the N.C. Proud Moments website, located at http://www.ncproudmoments.com/.