Just before Thanksgiving, Nikki Bollerman, a third grade teacher at UP Academy Dorchester, entered the #WishForOthers contest, sponsored by Capital One, on a whim.

In her entry, Bollerman, 26, wished that her “voracious, adorable, hard-working, loving scholars all leave for their December break with a book in their hand,’’ according to the school website.

And, just before Christmas, her wish was granted, and then some: Capital One gave three books to each student and also awarded Bollerman one of the grand prizes, for $150,000 – which she promptly donated, in its entirety, to her school.

“To me there was no other real option,’’ she told WBUR.


The video of the book unveiling has been viewed more than 1 million times on Facebook:

Mayor Walsh honored Bollerman at City Hall on Dec. 22, saying, “You make the entire city of Boston very proud and you make us very proud every day.’’

UP Academy moved into what was once the underperforming Marshall Elementary School last year, using the same building and teaching the same students, but replacing the entire staff. The results have been dramatic, with students achieving one-year MCAS score gains greater than that of any other school in the state, according to The Boston Globe.

What Bollerman’s prize money will be used for has yet to be determined, but she told The Globe that she’d like for at least some of it to go towards a computer lab for students. Bollerman and her students will also appear in a Capital One advertisement on social media.