ABC Rachael Kirkconnell.
Rachael Kirkconnell is a 24-year-old who hails from Georgia, where she works as a graphic designer. Her parents are Darrell Kirkconnell and Kim Klosterman Kirkconnell. According to a LinkedIn page that appears to belong to her dad, Darrell works as an IT professional. She has a younger sister named Trinity who is a dancer, and a brother named Greyson.
Kirkconnell made an impression on Matt James on night one of The Bachelor, when she stepped out of the limo and met him for the first time. She was given a rose, and is expected to be around for several more weeks.
WARNING: Bachelor spoilers below.
Kirkconnell is the projected winner of Matt James’ season of The Bachelor.
Reality Steve, who is known for his Bachelor franchise spoilers, hasn’t had the easiest time getting information this season due to the show’s different filming nature. The cast isn’t traveling around the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so information hasn’t really leaked.
All of that said, Reality Steve blogged that he’s heard that Kirkconnell is the woman who receives James’ final rose — though he admits that he is skeptical.
“I’m not 100% sold on it yet, but, I’m just telling you that’s the one I’ve heard most,” reads his blog, in part.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. She Has a Marketing Degree & Works as a Graphic Designer
Kirkconnell’s celebrated her 24th birthday on September 26, and she calls Cumming, Georgia, home. The city has a population of just over 6,000, and is located about 40 miles north of the state’s capital of Atlanta. As far as things to do in Cumming, there are a few outdoor activities, such as hiking, and there’s a beach on Lake Lanier.
Kirkconnell graduated from Georgia College in 2019, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
“A major in Marketing combines contemporary marketing concepts, a strong foundation in business fundamentals, and the strengths of the Georgia College liberal arts curriculum to prepare graduates for entry into a professional career,” reads the school’s website.
Kirkconnell works as a graphic designer. She doesn’t appear to have a LinkedIn page, so it’s unclear what company she works for.
2. She’s Never Been in Love
Kirkconnell has gone on The Bachelor to try to find a connection with Matt James, but she has previously admitted that she has never been in love.
“Though Rachael says she is a hopeless romantic to her core, she has never been in love and believes that Matt may just be the guy to change that. Rachael is hoping that her love story will be something huge and life altering. She wants to look back on her life when she’s old and feel like she has made the absolute most out of every single day,” reads her Bachelor bio.
Kirkconnell’s past relationships seem to be under wraps, but if she’s had any worth mentioning, she will probably talk about them with James at some point during the season. Fans may spot one guy in particular, who has made multiple appearances on her Instagram page, but Hampton McConnell appears to be just a friend.
“Rachael needs a man who will make every day with her something to tell their future children about and says, ‘At the end of the day, love is what makes your life more special than others. Life can be hard and really difficult and dark at times, but if you have someone by your side that loves you more than they love themselves, that makes it all worth it in the end’,” her bio concludes.
While Kirkconnell hasn’t experienced love in a romantic relationship, she does have a love for animals. In 2017, she became a dog-mom to her new pup, Winnie.
“If you know me you know this is my dream. I can’t wait to spoil you my little baby Winnie, momma loves you way too much already,” she captioned a photo with her new little love.
3. She Is a bit of a Foodie & Loves to Travel
Kirkconnell has a couple of highlights dedicated to food on her Instagram. It looks like she has a saved highlight on healthy meals that she prepared at home, and another for food she’s enjoyed out at restaurants. A couple of her favorites are sushi and pizza.
In addition to enjoying some delicious cuisine, Kirkconnell is also a fan of traveling. She has posted photos from her time spent in New York City, Chicago, and the Caribbean, to name a few. Her all time favorite vacay spot is Saint John in the U.S. Virgin Islands — she definitely loves the beach!
Kirkconnell’s Instagram is also filled with photos of her with her friends. She appears to be a social butterfly, perhaps stemming from her bubbly personality — she was a cheerleader in high school, after all.
4. She Has Been Accused of Past ‘Racist Behavior’
After appearing on the premiere of The Bachelor, Kirkconnell was accused of “racist behavior” by a woman claiming to be a former friend, as previously reported by Heavy. The woman went on TikTok and posted a video of Kirkconnell sitting with James on night one of The Bachelor.
The woman wrote a caption over the video, accusing Kirkconnell of bullying and racism.
“Girlieeee, remember when you bullied me in high school for liking black guys???” she wrote. A few more posts were uploaded to TikTok thereafter, calling out Kirkconnell’s friend group for alleged questionable behavior as well.
Kirkconnell posted an Instagram story after the January 6 Trump rally in Washington, D.C. that turned into a riot at the Capitol Building. The post was a photo showing military personnel standing on the steps of the Capitol during the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer, and was meant to compare the two events.
“In screenshots taken by Reddit users (which can be seen here), Kirkconnell liked posts that showed two women posing in front of a Confederate flag as well as one with three women in ponchos and sombreros. Another screenshot showed a woman who appears to be Kirkconnell posing in a Native American-themed costume,” Heavy reported.
Kirkconnell has not responded to the woman’s TikTok claims, nor has she talked about the other questionable posts on social.
5. She Once Dressed up as Victoria Beckham for Halloween
Kirkconnell has had some pretty epic times with her friends. One of the best memories has to be the time that a group of her friends dressed up as the Spice Girls for Halloween. Kirkconnell perfectly pulled off her role as Victoria Beckham, wearing a short black (posh!) dress and a pair of strappy heels.
Kirkconnell commented on the photo, which was posted by one of her friends, with a simple, very Beckham-like response.
“Sigh.”
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