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DURHAM — It was with a giant gulp of doubt that Sarah Myrick hit "send" on an email to Ellen DeGeneres asking that the talk-show host consider Eastway Elementary School for a $100,000 grant.

"I said, 'Yeah, I should do that,' " the fourth-grade teacher recalled thinking after seeing a promotion for the school-funding giveaway in September. "And then I thought, 'No way. How many schools are there across the country that will apply?' "

But figuring she hadn't anything to lose, Myrick applied. Her school — at which 92.7 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, according to the district's website — could put the money to good use as it works to educate students who arrive as kindergartners sometimes knowing only their nicknames and not having food to eat or a pillow to lay their heads on at home.

To her great disbelief, Myrick received word early last week that she and Eastway's principal, Kendral Flowers, were invited to a taping of the "Ellen DeGeneres Show." Before the pair of educators headed for Los Angeles, an "Ellen" crew went to the school to tape a segment that they said would be displayed on the show's website.

Myrick figured that was as far as it would go — a nice video on the website and the opportunity to check off something on her bucket list by sitting in the audience of one of her favorite shows. She knew what she'd applied for — and DeGeneres is known for surprising unsuspecting guests — "but you don't want to get your hopes up," she said.

During the show, which aired Monday, the host invited Myrick to sit onstage. After chatting for several seconds, producers played the segment filmed on the school's campus. Then, in true "Ellen" fashion, DeGeneres surprised the teacher with not only $100,000 for the school, but also with a $500 Target gift card for each of Eastway's 38 instructional teachers.

"It was surreal," Myrick said Monday evening. "The whole thing was just surreal. I am a huge fan of her show. I've watched it every day for years. Not only am I at the show, but I'm sitting next to her and talking with her."

She tapes the show and watches every single episode, even if it means catching up on weekends. Lucky for her, the Eastway episode aired at 4 p.m. Monday, when she was out of school for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so she was able to get together with friends and watch it in real time. The segment focusing on Eastway lasted a little more than five minutes. If you missed Monday's "Ellen," you can watch the segment here.

The on-set experience was a little overwhelming, and Myrick couldn't remember exactly what she said in response to DeGeneres' questions and was a little nervous about how she came across on camera, so she was eager to see the show Monday.

Somehow, even being the huge "Ellen" fan that she is, she was able to stay calm and collected during the interview.

The surreal feeling returned as she watched herself on her TV screen.

"I was sitting here watching 'Ellen' like I do every day, but today, I was watching myself," Myrick said.

Was DeGeneres as bubbly and warm as she appears on TV? You bet, Myrick said.

"Sometimes you see people and wonder if they're what they appear to be," she said. "She's everything that I could have imagined. Her spirit is just so contagious. She's just very genuine."

The past week has been a whirlwind, and "at this point, we're so overwhelmed that we don't know exactly how [the money] will be used, but we know it will mean amazing things for us," she said. The $100,000 Eastway grant is among 50 that are being awarded this year courtesy of "Ellen" and Target's Community Giving Program.

Myrick and Flowers are interested in using at least some of the money on some type of technology for their students, but the decision will likely be made in concert with other folks at Eastway.

The $500 gift cards mean a lot to Myrick and her colleagues. Out of her own pocket, she supplies snacks for all of her students each day and plans to use her gift card to build up a stockpile.

"Some people who have purchased things for their classrooms have made sacrifices, like instead of buying clothes for themselves, they'd buy paper for the classroom," she said. "Now, they'll be able to buy the clothes they need with the money they would have spent on classroom supplies."

Perhaps the most valuable part of the "Ellen" experience is the opportunity to show off the bright young minds at Eastway.

"My kids are so smart, and they have so much to offer," Myrick said. "I want the world to be able to see how amazing they are."