OCC student is finalist in contest for $10 million

Shelley Pickens certainly has plans for the future — the mother of one is going to Orange Coast College full-time to get her early childhood development credential. But those plans just might get a lot bigger on Wednesday, when Pickens could win $10 million.

As one of 210 finalists for the annual Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, Pickens has won at least $1,000, according to a news release from the company. It names her as the only finalist in the “Los Angeles area.”

“I can’t wait to find out,” Pickens said Friday by phone, adding that she had heard the news. “We’re in a financial bind right now, so it would be a great help. I can’t even express how exciting it would be.”

A recent accident left Pickens with $6,000 in damage to her sideswiped car, she said. Even that $1,000 will help defray the costs, especially since she doesn’t know how much her insurance will cover, she said.

“It puts your life into perspective,” she added. “You can’t take it for granted. You could step off a curb tomorrow and get hit by a car.”

Pickens lives in a Huntington Beach apartment with her husband, Michael Pickens, a private security guard working for Costa Mesa-based Nordic Security Services, and a preschool-aged son, William Pickens. With a child and a couple of dogs, their rooms are starting to feel a bit cramped, she said.

“I can’t hardly wait,” she said. “The anticipation — we could get out of the apartment and move somewhere big enough for the family.”

The winner of the contest will be surprised by the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol van on Wednesday.