A Lock Haven University junior doesn't have to worry about being a starving college student any longer after getting a big helping hand from Ellen DeGeneres!
Brandy Peifer never thought struggling to make ends meet would get her on national television but that's exactly what happened.
"I lost it. I started screaming. I was so excited. I didn't know what to do with myself," said Peifer.
The junior at Lock Haven University in Clinton County was having a tough time paying bills...
She ended up on a daily diet of ramen noodles because she said having enough cash to buy food for her dog "Bo" came first. "Ramen noodles! I mean, they're good but, it would be nice to have a decent meal for once," said Peifer.
Fed up, she e-mailed "The Ellen Show", hoping to win Ellen's "Big Stimulus Package" contest
"It was kind of spur of the moment. I saw her on TV do it a couple of times, go to peoples' houses. I was like, let's just do it. So I wrote her an email and I would never expect them to call me."
But "The Ellen Show" did call.
During a segment that aired on Wednesday's show right here on WNEP-TV, Peifer was called at her home, personally by Ellen, letting her know she had won! When Peifer stepped outside her apartment, she came face-to-face with cameras and "The Gold Digger" a swirling cash machine, filled with $3,000. Peifer had only 30 seconds inside the Gold Digger to grab as much cash as she could.
But after time ran out, this is what happened next on the show.
"I know you didn't grab all of it but I want you to have all of the three thousand dollars," Ellen told her, as her studio audience cheered.
But it didn't stop there.
"I am also hearing that you're not eating, that you feed your dog before you feed yourself. I love that you're taking care of your dog. I have a pet food line called Halo and I'm giving you a whole bunch of products for your dog," Ellen told her, as a Peifer was presented with a huge basket filled with dog supplies.
Peifer says the prizes couldn't come at a better time.
With money so tight she wasn't sure if she be able to pay for her senior year of college.
"Three thousand dollars, I'm almost there. I need like two thousand dollars more. If I work this summer, I'm most likely going to make it back to school," said Peifer, grinning. "So that was a big chunk of the money I needed."
Along with the money and dog food, Brandy was given two $500 gift cards, one for Sears and one for Target.
And since she doesn't have a car, she was also given a gift card to buy a bike.
Brandy Peifer never thought struggling to make ends meet would get her on national television but that's exactly what happened.
"I lost it. I started screaming. I was so excited. I didn't know what to do with myself," said Peifer.
The junior at Lock Haven University in Clinton County was having a tough time paying bills...
She ended up on a daily diet of ramen noodles because she said having enough cash to buy food for her dog "Bo" came first. "Ramen noodles! I mean, they're good but, it would be nice to have a decent meal for once," said Peifer.
Fed up, she e-mailed "The Ellen Show", hoping to win Ellen's "Big Stimulus Package" contest
"It was kind of spur of the moment. I saw her on TV do it a couple of times, go to peoples' houses. I was like, let's just do it. So I wrote her an email and I would never expect them to call me."
But "The Ellen Show" did call.
During a segment that aired on Wednesday's show right here on WNEP-TV, Peifer was called at her home, personally by Ellen, letting her know she had won! When Peifer stepped outside her apartment, she came face-to-face with cameras and "The Gold Digger" a swirling cash machine, filled with $3,000. Peifer had only 30 seconds inside the Gold Digger to grab as much cash as she could.
But after time ran out, this is what happened next on the show.
"I know you didn't grab all of it but I want you to have all of the three thousand dollars," Ellen told her, as her studio audience cheered.
But it didn't stop there.
"I am also hearing that you're not eating, that you feed your dog before you feed yourself. I love that you're taking care of your dog. I have a pet food line called Halo and I'm giving you a whole bunch of products for your dog," Ellen told her, as a Peifer was presented with a huge basket filled with dog supplies.
Peifer says the prizes couldn't come at a better time.
With money so tight she wasn't sure if she be able to pay for her senior year of college.
"Three thousand dollars, I'm almost there. I need like two thousand dollars more. If I work this summer, I'm most likely going to make it back to school," said Peifer, grinning. "So that was a big chunk of the money I needed."
Along with the money and dog food, Brandy was given two $500 gift cards, one for Sears and one for Target.
And since she doesn't have a car, she was also given a gift card to buy a bike.
