Catching Up With Kiarra Norman from “The Bachelor”
You may remember her as a contestant on Season 24 of the ABC hit TV series, The Bachelor. We talked to Kiarra Norman to learn more about her time on the show and to get all of her best tips on lasting friendships and relationships.
What made you want to audition for Season 24 of The Bachelor?
When I decided to audition for The Bachelor, it was a complete spur of the moment thing for me. I had been on and off with my previous boyfriend for a few months (after being together for two years) and had time to do some self discovery to find out more about who I was and what I was looking for in my next relationship. I was in my last semester of my senior year of college and something just told me to go for it! I applied not expecting to hear a reply back and then I kept getting emails/call backs and kept moving forward with the process until I found out I was officially casted! It was a huge trust in God moment for me while dropping my classes I tried so hard to get into, as I wasn't informed that I was officially casted on the show until the week AFTER add/drop for classes had ended. Talk about a LEAP OF FAITH.
Being on The Bachelor, you all get a lot of attention very quickly. How did you adjust to being in the spotlight, particularly on social media?
Being in the spotlight, particularly on social media, was definitely an adjustment. It’s a different kind of attention from your college friends versus all of America. I’m so lucky that I know myself enough to not be affected very much by people’s comments. It’s so comforting having support from people who have never actually met you in person. As amazing as that feeling is though, if you don't have tough skin, those unnecessarily rude and mean comments can definitely get to you. I mean, even the toughest person can only take so much. It’s astonishing how people think they know everything about you from a few episodes of a television show. LOL. Overall, I'm thankful for the platform I now have to help others and give tips and advice on any and everything I can. It is so important to remember that we are all human and should try to be the good in people's lives because you just never know! Life is short. We have to make the most of it and being hateful is just not it.
What did you learn about dating from the show and do you have any dating advice for single girls in their 20s?
What I learned from the show about dating is that it is so important to know who you are and what you want before bringing someone else into the mix. It is also important to be vocal about how you feel and to be confident in your skin. Advice I have for girls in their 20s is to DO YOU FIRST GIRL! Focus on you and I promise everything else really will fall into place for you. Know what you want, what you like and dislike, and don’t settle for anything EVER.
It seems like you have made really close friendships with several of the girls from the show. Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like living in a house with so many girls and how you all became so close?
I have definitely formed some great friendships from the show. It was a bit difficult being in a house with SO many girls at once fighting for the same guy. All the girls would obviously get emotional at different times and unnecessary fights would happen, but at the end it felt like a sisterhood almost. You fight and you make up. I think knowing this and seeing each other in a way that America did not get to see is what makes our bond and continued friendships so great. I talk to Sydney every single day and recently had Madi and Sarah come visit me in Atlanta, where we spent most of the weekend making TikToks, catching up, and just being thankful for each other!
Congratulations on graduating from college this past spring! What was it like transitioning back to college life after finishing with the show?
It was interesting transitioning back to college after the show. I would walk on campus and have people smile at me for long periods of time and not say anything, or yell across campus at me that they watched me on TV last night and loved me. It got to the point sometimes where other students in my class would ask to take pictures with me because their mom or friend didn’t believe I was in their class and it became a class discussion, which surprisingly most of my teachers were okay with! Being a PR major, my teachers were very understanding and interested themselves!
How have you been able to stay connected with friends and family during the pandemic?
I’ve been able to stay connected with friends and family through lots of FaceTime and social media usage. For me, I forget to reply to text messages sometimes, so it’s so much easier and more personal for me to send a text voice memo or pick up the phone and FaceTime!
What’s next for you?
What’s next for me? Currently I am looking for a full time job within the events and fashion PR/Marketing/Social Media industry. I am also heavily involved with collaborating with brands on Instagram so follow me @kiarranorman for all things fashion, lifestyle, beauty, and discount codes!! I am currently collaborating with Brooklynn’s boutique and recently came out with the “Kiki Collection” where I went to an apparel mart as a buyer to personally shop for a few items within the collection that not only represented the store's brand, but me as well. It runs from July 9th-July 24th so check it out and reward yourself with a cute item for 15% off with discount code "KIKI15."
In the near future, as things hopefully start to go back to normal, I plan on creating a Youtube channel as I love to travel so definitely stay tuned and DM me if there is anything specific you would like to see!
Follow Kiarra on Instagram at @kiarranorman
Shop the “Kiki Collection” at www.brooklynns.com