Before The Bachelorette alum Michelle Young was named the lead of season 18, she was a 5th grade teacher in her home state, Minnesota, but she isn't an educator right now. After an exciting phase as her installment's biggest star, she decided that it would be best to take some time off from teaching. Now, Michelle explains why she wants to pivot away from the educational field, at least temporarily, following her Bachelor franchise stint.
Viewers first met Michelle when she competed for Matt James' heart during The Bachelor season 25. She ended up finishing as the runner-up, and was then named one of two The Bachelorette leads, along with Katie Thurston. They were cast in two separate seasons, which would air in the summer and fall. When her season of the show was over, it seemed like Michelle would go back to teaching. However, she revealed that she was taking a hiatus from that job, and explained some of the factors that inspired her to make that decision.
According to Bachelor Insider, the popular and charismatic celebrity Michelle revealed that she would have made exactly the same decision if she didn't have The Bachelorette and social media sidelines. Basically, she needed a break, like many educators do sometimes. More details were revealed when Michelle, who is no longer with Nayte Olukoya, said that there was not a specific problem that sparked her interesting choice. She stated, "Professions that are built on passion, such as teaching, are incredibly taxing on mental health. These past two years have been incredibly difficult. It wasn’t as much of a ‘final straw,’ but truly realizing how burned out I am and knowing I wouldn’t be able to recharge before this next school year began."
The Bachelorette Alum Michelle Young Plans To Spend Time In Hollywood
When discussing not returning to the classroom, Michelle stated that taking the year off was a heartbreaking decision for her. However, she knew that she was doing the right thing. According to the aforementioned article, she revealed that it wasn't so much that she wanted to take a year off; it was that she needed to. However, she didn't rule out a return to the classroom in the future. For now, the former Bachelorette Michelle plans to spend time in Los Angeles, where she will be hosting the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast in person, with another former lead and co-host, Becca Kufrin.
Although Michelle thought she found love on The Bachelorette, she broke up with Nayte in June of this year, and claimed that she was blindsided by the split, although he disputes this. Nonetheless, she is moving on, unwilling to let a failed romance get the better of her. Now, viewers are watching Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia search for love as co-leads. With their season drawing to a close, viewers will just have to tune into the two-part finale to find out how their journey ends.
The two-part The Bachelorette finale airs on Tuesday, September 13 and 20, at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Source: Bachelor Insider