Teacher who won $2.6 million lottery delayed his own dream and stayed on for two years to help students

A UK teacher, who won £2 million (~$2.6million) on the National Lottery, continued to check into work for two years. Mike Law from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire held on to his job as an arts and photography teacher till last year, only to make sure that his GCSE students finished their course without any hindrance and took their exams. 

A dedicated teacher

Law had been a dedicated educator for two decades and hit the jackpot on The National Lottery back in October 2021. While most would quit their job after the massive windfall, Law felt he had a "conscious responsibility". Thus, Law made the virtuous decision to stay. 

Speaking to Birmingham Live, Law and his wife shared that they lived like a "normal family" even after winning the staggering amount. As the law continued to work, they only spent money to improve their quality of life and pay off their mortgage. In 2022, Law decided that he would change his career as he wanted to pursue his dreams of writing. 

"I know plenty of people dream of winning the lottery and handing in their notice, but I was very conscious of my responsibility to my students, many of whom I had taught and known for many years," he told the local news outlet. He said he wanted to be there for them for guidance until they took their final exams.

He finally cleared his desk in late 2023, after spending 23 years in the job. He is now on the path to fulfilling his dream of publishing a novel but he admitted that he will miss teaching as well. 

A dream fulfilled

After decades of teaching, Law is now fulfilling his ambitions of writing historical adventure novels. “To me, winning the National Lottery isn’t about fast cars and speed boats, it’s about opportunity and making memories," he told the lottery. 

He began writing historical adventure novels last year after quitting his job and he hopes that his work will be published one day. "How many people have wanted to change careers but found themselves in a rut and unable to take a leap of faith?" he said. 

With a combined love of writing and a fascination with the Romans, Law is writing a novel set in Roman Britain which has a “dark twist”, he told Wales Online. He further shared that the book will be set in Wroxeter in Shropshire, one of the largest cities in Roman Britain, which is now a site managed by English Heritage.

He said he had traveled past the site hundreds of times on trips to Wales and found it to be a perfect place to base his story. He emphasized that being a former teacher, he wants it to be historically correct, with all the right facts. He said the site being open to visitors has helped him to bring his story to life.

Law also shared with Birmingham Live that he eventually plans to find a literary agent to get his book published but if it doesn't work out, he may even publish his story on his own.