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Tia From 'The Bachelor' Is Proud Of Her Alma Mater

by Chrissy Bobic

Every season on The Bachelor, there are women who set the bar a little higher for the rest of them. This could be when it comes to their career of choice or just personality quirks, but in both areas, Tia Booth has proven herself to be a strong competitor for Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s love. Fans already know that the Arkansas native is a physical therapist, but where did Tia from The Bachelor go to school? The contestant is proud of her alma mater and when she graduated in 2013, she posted about it plenty on social media.

Tia, who just so happens to be real life BFFs with Raven Gates from Nick Viall’s season of The Bachelor, graduated from Arkansas State University Magna Cum Laude and on the honors program. To really show pride for her school, she also had a friend paint a female version of the red wolf mascot on her graduation cap. After graduating, Tia went on to attend physical therapy school at the university for two additional years and actually earned her degree shortly before appearing on Arie’s season of The Bachelor. So she might be new at her career, but she’s clearly worked hard for it over the years.

Typically, your average physical therapy school takes around three years to complete, but because Tia first attended a four year college, she was able to graduate with her chosen degree just two years following her initial graduation from Arkansas State University. But overall, I’d say that Tia chose the right profession to study. According to PTProgress.com, it’s expected that from 2016-2026, there will be a 25 percent growth in available physical therapy jobs and Tia is also looking at a career where the median annual salary is $85,000. It’s also not a bad place to be career-wise as a 25-year-old, so there’s that.

Tia made her own mark on the season premiere of The Bachelor by bring a "little wiener" for Arie and explaining that her hometown is actually Weiner, Arkansas, and that she hoped he didn't already have one. Whether she meant a wiener toy or an actual — well, you get the gist — is unclear, but the silly interaction helped Tia become instantly memorable.

Despite spending the past six years or so in college, Tia is still plenty able to show off her silly side and was unafraid to go on The Bachelor, per Raven’s urging, so she’s definitely a catch. Her prayer sessions with Bibiana Julian were probably some of the best moments of the season early on and while she hasn’t been confrontational with any of the women, she seems to know how to stand her ground. Basically, she’s just extremely well-rounded and her career of choice speaks to that as well.

Arie recently made a comment about Seinne Fleming being impressive as a contestant and possible match for him given that she graduated from Yale and works as a real estate investor, but I think it's safe to say that there are a ton of contestants this season, including both Seinne and Tia, who have impressive resumes.

Since Tia just graduated from Arkansas State University for the second time in May 2016, her career as a physical therapist is just getting started. But she’s already put in plenty of hours of work, as shown on her Instagram, and if her dedication to her degree is any indication of the drive she has for her career, I don’t see it being all that difficult for her to go far in her chosen field. I also don't think I'm alone in saying that I also can't wait to see how far she goes this season, since she’s definitely Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise material if Arie doesn't end up proposing to her in the end.

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