On the half-court line of the Jan. 21 womens basketball game, one University student opened a door that changed her senior year.

While many students dream of living rent free, third year business administration student Katie Hyre’s dream became a reality when her key worked on the door marked with Mecca’s logo, winning free rent for the 2017-2018 academic year.

“It took me a minute to even get the key in the lock without knocking it over, and I remember feeling it turn a little bit,” Hyre said.

It took a man telling her the door opened and she had won for it to really sink in, “and I was just speechless,” she said.

One of Mecca’s owners, Michelle Remeis, said Mecca has offered free rent to one student for the last six years, but this year it partnered with the University to make the giveaway a larger event as a housing sponsor at sporting events.

Three names were drawn from the hat as finalists for a chance to win the free rent. Those three each got a key at the basketball game, with one key being the right one to open the lock.

Hyre was the first one to try, and also the winner. The prize is about a $5000 value, Remeis said.

“That will probably be the same way we do it next year because it was great for both us and the University,” Remeis said. “Just the energy in the arena—everyone was so excited.”

While she currently rents from Greenbriar because of convenience after spending a semester at an internship, Hyre will switch to live near her best friend.

“I knew exactly where I wanted to be and just decided to get a jump on it,” Hyre said about renting with Mecca.

She said she had no idea about the deal before she turned in her paperwork and deposit.

“My plan was to go to Mecca and pay my deposit, and when I did they said ‘oh you can out your name on this ticket to win free rent,’” she said. “I didn’t think much of it, but I did it anyway.”

She first found out she was a finalist for the prize while she was at work.

“I honestly couldn’t even comprehend it at first…I remember being like ‘okay great thanks,” she said. “I wasn’t even thinking I could actually win free rent at first.”

Hyre said she’s extremely grateful to Mecca because now she will be able to just focus on school during her senior year.

“This eliminates all the stress of the costs associated with living off-campus,” she said.

The drawing each year is open to all Mecca tenants renewing their leases or any new renters who have their paperwork, application and deposit submitted by the end of fall semester.

Mecca owns between 800 and 1000 units in Bowling Green.