The Local Bachelorette: Grace Guin

When she is not helping run the TikTok pages for UNC-Chapel Hill’s football team or her sorority, Alpha Phi, UNC junior Grace Guin is also the next UNC Bachelorette. 

The Instagram account @UNCChicks (UNC Chicks) started its version of “The Bachelorette” in honor of a UNC alumna being on the next season of the hit television show. The account encouraged followers to nominate themselves or friends (with permission) along with a photo and a reason why they should be the new UNC Chicks’ Bachelorette. 

Guin said that after seeing UNC Chicks’ post, she submitted  an application for entertainment purposes. Many other UNC students submitted themselves or their friends for this opportunity, sharing stories as to why they should be chosen to find love. 

Guin was selected as a candidate for the Bachelorette and was soon posted on their account for people to vote. During the voting process, followers were able to share who they wanted as the bachelorette through polls on UNC Chick’s story. 

Part of this process included a personal statement from friends of the candidate, or the candidate themselves. Guin’s included how her past was full of falling, but not in love.

“I’m really good at falling,” Guin wrote. “I fell off a bike when I was 19 and had to get five stitches…There’s one thing I haven’t fallen…in love. After 20 years of living (and falling) I haven’t met a guy that made me fall head over heels for him.”

Guin noted that many people who saw the post found it very humorous, with the post reaching over 900 likes.

Once the voting process was over and a Bachelorette had been selected, strangers walking past Guin after a long day at the library had broken the news that she was selected for UNC Chick’s “Bachelorette”. 

While the upcoming dates have not been formally announced by UNC Chicks yet, Guin did note that she was able to pick out the contestants. She recruited her friends to help her choose the people she would go on dates with.

“There wasn’t really a method of choosing (the contestants),” Guin said. “I put (the possible contestants) pictures and answers on a screen…if they stuck out to me or seemed like they (weren’t) submitting it to get a joke in.”

Guin said that she is not going into the potential dates with expectations. She said she thinks it would be nice to find someone, but she also enjoys making new friends. 

“My motto now is have fun and see where it goes,” Guin said. “You’re either going to make a friend or you’re going to meet someone special. So it’s better, I think, if you don’t go into it with any expectations…Either way, it’ll be fun.”

Guin noted that she thinks that dating has changed notably throughout the years. In high school, she had assumed that she would find someone, go on dates with them and begin dating exclusively. 

“Now it’s kind of like, you’re talking to 10 different people on Snapchat, and you have one guy you’re seriously texting and then another guy you’re going on dates with,” Guin said. “(These kinds of relationships are) called situationships, they very rarely lead to anything.”

Guin said that when the time comes to go on a date with the contestants, she will be vlogging each of the dates. 

“Usually (dates are) like dinner or whatever,” Guin said. “But, I’ve had a few guys take me out for mini golf or a drive-in movie, and those are really fun, and they’re pretty memorable. So I hope it’s stuff like that because it’s better for the videos too. It’s more interesting than just a dinner date.”

While she is going into the fun without any expectations, Guin said that while she goes on a good amount of first dates, she only had one in the past where they clicked. 

“He made me laugh, like genuinely laugh,” Guin said. “We lasted a little while, so I think that’s kind of a sign for me, the humor. Also definitely a gentleman.”

Originally from Weddington, NC, Guin said that she likes when guys hold open doors, pay for first dates and use respectful terms.

“I feel like girls have a kind of gut feeling,” Guin said. “If he’s being honest, or is a douchebag, you can kind of tell who is genuine too.”