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ABC/Craig Sjodin

'The Bachelor' Contestant Is A Former Ram With Mad Journalism Skills

Season 23 of The Bachelor has a slew of talented, intelligent, capable women ready to fight for former NFL player, Colton Underwood's heart. But between the two beauty queens, one caught Colton's eye from the start. Caelynn — Miss North Carolina 2018 — was the first kiss of the season and still manages to pique Colton's interest, much to the chagrin of fellow pageant frenemy, Hannah B. You already know this girl has a lot going for her, but where did Caelynn go to college?

Caelynn Miller-Keyes, 23, earned a Bachelor's Degree in broadcast journalism from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, according to the ABC website. The former Miss USA runner-up grew up in Fredericksburg, Virginia — about an hour north of the college. Virginia Commonwealth, an "urban public research facility committed to diversity," is ranked one of the top 100 research universities with more than 200 programs offered. Their website claims there are currently 31,036 students enrolled with an 18:1 student to teacher ratio, 2, 338 members of the faculty, and nearly 190,000 alumni — including Caelynn. She moved to Asheville, North Carolina, after graduation where she went on to become Miss North Carolina and competed for that Miss USA sash (but walked away as runner-up to Miss Nebraska), using her platform to speak on the #metoo movement and how it's affected her as a survivor.

Virginia Commonwealth University's Wikipedia page said the historic place was founded in 1838 as "the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College." The page stated they've received a "record $270.3 million in sponsored research funding in the fiscal year 2014–15, VCU is designated as R1: Doctoral University - Highest Research Activity" by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education." I don't know exactly what that means, but it sounds pretty spectacular. The page also said, "more than 79% of VCU freshmen live on campus," with the "residential hall capacity around 6,200 students." It's unclear if Caelynn was one of the 6,200 but my guess is yes. Considering her now publicized bunk-situation with fellow Bachelor contestant and pageant competitor, Hannah B., it only seems fitting. As a fighting "Ram" — VCU's mascot — I think Caelynn has what it takes to advance past Hannah B. outside of the pageant world and in The Bachelor world. I wonder what collegiate animal Hannah B. brings to set. It matters, people.

Another note in Caelynn's ABC bio is that she once flew to Japan for a first date, which could be attributed to her college life. Perhaps all that studying made her more likely to fly abroad. It also mentioned her mentor grandmother was the first female FBI lead in Los Angelas so she has big shoes to fill. And though it's not known how far she'll advance on The Bachelor front just yet, something tells me she can fill them just fine (and maybe her college background and degree in journalism has at least a little to do with it so she can rule the TV interviews).

It sounds like Caelynn's broadcast journalism may come in handy right about now. With all the back-and-forth beef between herself and Hannah B., she's remained cool and calm under the pressure of the cameras and Colton's super intense abs. Regardless, Virginia Commonwealth University should be proud of how far Caelynn's come on the reality dating competition — whether she ultimately walks away with Colton's heart or not. And if not, she still has that cool Miss North Carolina sash and that's not nothing.

Season 23 of The Bachelor continues on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.