Yusra Alani’s reunion with her family after a year away became even sweeter when she won $100,000 playing $5,000,000 Mega Cash.

“I had just gotten home from a year of traveling for work,” said Alani, a linguist who works abroad. “I had only been home for a few days and wanted some time for myself, so I went to the pool and visited some friends.”

On the way home, she and her husband, Qasim, stopped by to visit her son who works at the Skylite Fast Mart on Morganton Road in Fayetteville and decided to try their luck with the $20 ticket.

“I looked at my husband,” said Alani recalling the moment she realized they had a winner. “And it looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head!”

Alani claimed her prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Monday. After federal and state tax withholdings, she took home $69,507. She plans to use the money to help her sons with college tuition.

“It is special,” Alani said with a smile. “It’s for my boys. They are my priority.”

$5,000,000 Mega Cash launched in May with three top prizes of $5 million and six prizes of $1 million. All three $5 million prizes and five $1 million prizes remain to be claimed.

Ticket sales from games made it possible for the lottery to raise more than $634 million for the state last year. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in Cumberland County, click on the “For Education” section of the lottery’s website.