TV & Movies
Matt James Hinted This New Bachelor Contestant Is One To Watch
Michelle is a former college athlete who devotes her time to helping kids, so she has plenty in common with Matt.
Matt James' original group of women is about to get some serious competition from new Bachelor contestant Michelle Young. Like Matt, the 27-year-old is also a former college athlete — she played Division I basketball at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, prior to graduating in 2015. Now, Michelle is an elementary school teacher who works with children to inspire "the next generation of community leaders," per her official ABC bio.
The Edina, Minnesota, native describes herself as loyal, compassionate, and supportive, and shows love through acts of service. When Michelle's not working, she also loves to spend her time hiking and wine tasting with friends, according to her bio, and is adventurous both in life and in appetite. (Fun fact: All of her favorite "restaurants" are local food trucks.)
Given all they have in common, it comes as little surprise that Matt singled Michelle out in a Jan. 22 Instagram post which he captioned "Better late than never," adding a red heart emoji. Here's everything else you need to know about Matt's potential perfect match.
Michelle's Job
After graduating from Bradley University with a degree in elementary education, Michelle reportedly began working as a fifth-grade teacher at Normandale Hills Elementary School in Bloomington, Minnesota, in 2016. However, she is not currently listed in a staff directory on the Bloomington Public Schools website. ABC described Michelle as an "over-worker," who's nonetheless ready to find love and start a family.
Michelle's Instagram
As of publication, there were only four photos on Michelle's Instagram. "A little late to the Instagram party but, I made it," she captioned her first post in April 2020. Since then, her other posts included a birthday tribute to one of her "closest gals," as well as a shot of herself posing on a basketball court. In the latter post's caption, she joked that she's "50% missing the game, 40% missing the camaraderie, 10% missing the grind, but 0% missing the conditioning workouts."
What Michelle's Looking For
Noting that Michelle has "big dreams for the future," her ABC bio states that she wants a man by her side that is "supportive and driven to make the world a better place" and can be "the superman to her superwoman." But one warning for Matt: Michelle says she's not into hot tub dates "because they are too cliché."
