And just like that, another season of The Bachelorette is underway. Michelle Young has taken on the lead role and there are 30 new eligible Bachelors for the new season. After competing for Matt Jame's heart in the previous installment of The Bachelor and walking away broken-hearted, she is ready to start her own new love story.
Since the season has only just started and some viewers may not know Michelle from her previous appearance, there are a few things that viewers should know about Michelle as she tries to find her perfect match.
From Matt James To The Bachelorette
Michelle first came on the show to find love with Matt James, and while it didn't work out in the end, she did find love. After coming in later than all of the other contestants, she fell in love and made it to the final two, but was left heartbroken in the end when Matt chose Rachel Kirkconnell over her.
If you're diving into this season but missed Matt's season, viewers can find a recap Bachelor show to catch up on Michelle's journey so far. After Matt's season, it was announced that she and Katie Thurston would be the next two Bachelorettes, so Michelle went back to work in the meantime. She continues to stay optimistic as she begins her new journey.
She's A Minnesota Girl
Michelle grew up in Minnesota and went to elementary school in the small city, Woodbury. She spent a few of her adult years in Peoria, Illinois, where she attended Bradley University, completing an education degree on a basketball scholarship, as mentioned on Bradley Braves.
She attended University from 2011 until 2015 and after graduating she made her way back to Minnesota. Her heart has always been in Minnesota and her Instagram bio even reads that she is a "Minnesotan at heart."
Teacher By Day, Bachelorette By Night
After finishing up her education degree at Bradley University, Michelle made her way back home and is now a proud elementary school teacher who teaches fifth grade in Minnesota. During Matt's season, she expressed to him that she wanted to be a teacher because she had always wanted to help those around her and make a difference in people's lives.
She also said that she constantly thinks about her students and how they are feeling through challenging times. She was able to go back to teaching in between filming Matt's season and her run on The Bachelorette.
She Wants A Motivated Man
According to Bachelor Nation, Michelle wants a motivated man because she is a very motivated person with a lot of goals. She's also looking for someone who is emotionally intelligent and can be open-minded when it comes to having tough conversations.
As a former athlete, she also wants someone who can keep up with her active and healthy lifestyle. Hopefully, viewers can see her find her Mr. Right on the current season of The Bachelorette, but according to some recent Bachelorette Twitter and Instagram memes following the introduction of the men, things may not be going according to plan.
She's 28 Years Old
Michelle Young is 28 years old, and although she was older than many girls during Matt's season, she was closer to his age than the others.
She is happy in her career, but at this point in her life she is just missing a partner, and according to her bio on ABC.com, she wants a Superman to her Superwoman and is ready to start a family of her own as she enters this new chapter of her life.
She's Had One Past Serious Relationship
Viewers know that her last relationship was with Matt James and that he blindsided her during one of their final dates when it came down to the last two contestants. During one of those episodes, Matt said that he just couldn't get there with her and sent her home.
Other than Matt, she did mention during the season that she had one other serious relationship, and although she didn't give much information, she said it ended because it was unhealthy.
She Continues To Make Bachelorette History
Not only is Michelle nationally known for being the runner-up on Matt James's season and now even more widely known as the new Bachelorette, but she is also making history in Bachelor Nation as the third Black Bachelorette. She is following in Rachel Lindsay and Taysia Adams's footsteps and continues to raise awareness about the BIPOC community.
She had important conversations with Matt on his season about current issues surrounding racism and how she wants to raise awareness for her students, as well as the general public.
She Was A Basketball Player
Michelle is remembered for being a successful athlete by many people. If viewers ever want to find more information on her, they will have to sift through all of her basketball news and accomplishments first.
She was a student-athlete playing division 1 basketball when she attended Bradley University and prior to that, according to the Bradley Braves, she played basketball for Woodbury High School, where she also set records and had many impressive accomplishments.
She's Not Looking For Fame
As social media has become more prevalent in the last few years, there is a lot of speculation that contestants go on the show to gain popularity, opportunities, and social media followers. While Michelle already had a career and her own success before coming on the show, it was clear that she wasn't looking for fame. She also wasn't looking to gain Instagram followers because she just got the app in 2020, posting her first picture on April 4, 2020.
There's no avoiding the spotlight now, so she interacts with her followers and fans via Instagram just like many other former contestants. With internet users more active than ever on social media, the leads gain a substantial amount of followers during and after the show. In fact, Bachelor Matt James, who was just in her place, has nearly a million followers.
She Lives An Active Lifestyle
Being a former competitive athlete and playing basketball for most of her life, Michelle still maintains her active lifestyle and healthy habits in her everyday life, according to Bachelor Nation. She says that she still goes to the gym, lifts weights, and lives an overall active lifestyle.
Basketball will always be in her blood, which is why she still continues to play on a club basketball team. It's no surprise that she's looking for someone who can smash out a workout with her and keep up with her fit and active lifestyle.
She Has A Goofy Side
Michelle is known for her sweet personality, her smile, the way she cares for others, and the way she carries herself, but she admits to having a goofy side as well, which she is excited for viewers to see more of on her season of The Bachelorette.
According to the Bachelor Nation site, she says that she doesn't take herself too seriously, she doesn't get embarrassed easily, and that she likes to joke around.