"Get in the short line!" was the smartest advice given to Annie Fuller, now a community college instructor, by her mother, Minnie.

"She always encouraged me to do things that others weren't doing," Annie says, "not to just follow the crowd. I've passed this advice on to my children and my students!"

What Annie Won: A trip for two to the Eldorado Hotel & Spa (EldoradoHotel.com) in Santa Fe, N.M., including airfare from Kayak.com!