Shocked and surprised

LU Online student awarded $25,000 on “The Ellen Show”

When Liberty online student Amber Thomas won tickets to “The Ellen Show,” she had no idea she would end up as a special guest on the show and be the recipient of $25,000.

The 24-year-old online college student who lives in San Diego, California, was recognized in October 2016 by talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and guest co-host Kevin Hart for her work ethic and her service to the community.

“The producers afterward were laughing at me because when they were describing the person (in the audience), I was just looking around trying to figure out who it was, not realizing it was myself,” Thomas said. “The things that I have done and the things I have accomplished I just see as part of my life.”

Thomas spends her days working multiple jobs and volunteering at a youth center while being a full-time college student.

Although her daily schedule typically goes from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m., she still enjoys watching “The Ellen Show” regularly.

“I come home, and I watch your show just to revive myself,” Thomas said about DeGeneres on the show. DeGeneres gave Thomas hundreds of dollars in gift cards along with a MacBook Air. Afterward, DeGeneres presented her with a $25,000 check from Shutterfly to help pay for her tuition.

Thomas, who started taking Liberty Online classes in 2015, was initially unsure about attending Liberty due to the cost.

“When I got accepted to Liberty, I was very stressed out about the cost of tuition,” Thomas said. “I struggled with the fact that I really wanted to finish my degree at Liberty University, but I also didn’t want to have a significant amount of student loans after graduation.”

However, Thomas will now be able to graduate in 2018 without any student loans due to the money she received.

As a business administration major, Thomas’ dream is to own her own business one day to serve the community.

“My goal is to own a Chick-fil-A one day, which is one of the places I’m currently working at,” Thomas said.

In addition to working at least 40 hours a week at Chick-fil-A, Thomas works two to three days each week at Junior Achievement, a non-profit organization that teaches young students financial and entrepreneurial skills.

Throughout her life, Thomas has spent thousands of hours in volunteer service. As the daughter of a military service member, Thomas has moved across the country several times.

She now serves the military community at Murphy Canyon Youth Center, a recreation center for families and children.

“I’ve been volunteering there since I was about 13 as a youth sports coach,” Thomas said. “I was one of those children, and without something to do and some guidance, you can easily become lost — especially without having a parent around.”

As Thomas works to financially support her family and stays awake long hours to finish her own studies, she said she does become exhausted and worn down. However, her experience on “The Ellen Show” has caused her to realize the long-term value of all her efforts.

“Everyone’s focus has been on the fact that I’ve gotten $25,000,” Thomas said. “But my focus has been on the fact that it really put in perspective the things that I have done in life.”

Covey is a feature reporter