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Fernandina Beach woman wins $10,000 from Chipotle with TikTok video

Carissa Reese won $10,000 from the chain of fast-casual Mexican grill restaurants.
A Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant is seen in Washington, DC, December 22, 2015.

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — A Fernandina Beach woman has achieved Chipotle royalty status and won cash for her TikTok tribute to her favorite meal at the fast-casual Mexican grill.

Carissa Reese, a 23-year old graduate student, turned a 20-second video into newfound fame — and a $10,000 prize from the popular restaurant chain, Chipotle announced on Wednesday.  

The self-described "Chipotle Addict," pitched her go-to Chipotle meal via TikTok to the popular restaurant chain headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. 

Learning her TikTok video won was incredible, she told the Times-Union via email Wednesday.

"I WAS SHAKING. I really feel like this was a once in a lifetime thing. I was excited beyond words," Reese said.

She thought her video was good but was stunned when it won.

"My TikTok channel includes daily vlogs and good vibes and I thought my followers would love this since it was true to my page and in my opinion pretty clever LOL," Reese wrote.

She entered the Chipotle contest on the second day of it being posted.

"My followers are amazing and flooded the comments as soon as it was posted!" Reese said.

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The prize-winning "Carissa Bowl" features chicken, white rice, roasted chili-corn salsa, fresh tomato salsa, one half black beans, one half pinto beans with tomatillo-red chili salsa and sour cream on the side.

In addition to the cash prize, Reese's order is featured on the Chipotle App and online menus.

Her prize-winning TikTok pitch shows her living at her Chipotle — waking up, getting her coffee and eating her go-to bowl in front of the TV for lunch. In addition to catching the eye of Chipotle, Reese also drew the attention of police, according to her video.

Working toward a master of business administration degree at Texas Southern University in Houston, Reese filmed the video at the closest Chipotle to campus.

Reese said she has plans for the prize money.

"I plan to invest all 10k," she said.

Chipotle has nearly 2,700 locations nationwide including 183 in Florida. There are nine in Jacksonville and one in Jacksonville Beach, the company website shows.

Read the original version of this story from our news partners, the Florida Times-Union.

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