‘Bachelor’ Contestant Fires Back at Critics of Her Side Job

Serene Russell was a popular contestant on Clayton Echard’s season of “The Bachelor.” The 27-year-old Oklahoma City school elementary school teacher made it to the hometown  dates on Clayton’s season of the ABC dating show.

On her ABC bio, Serene’s only profession was listed as a school teacher and it was noted that she’s “making a difference in her students’ lives.” She even reminded some fans of former “Bachelorette” star Michelle Young, who also works as an elementary school teacher.

But according to The Sun, Serene also has a second job as a model and is signed with Wilhelmina Denver and the Tabb Agency — and some fans think that’s a conflict.

Some Bachelor Fans Have Taken Issue With Serene’s Conflicting Jobs

Serene recently shared photos from one of her modeling shoots. In the pics, she is wearing a fringed bustier, miniskirt, and cowboy boots. She has also posted pics from swimsuit photoshoots. But some followers have made it clear they don’t think a school teacher should post sexy pics.

On her Instagram story, Serene posted screenshots of some of the negative comments she has received. After one commenter asked her, “Wait, aren’t you a teacher?” another replied with, “Right? Imagine seeing your kid’s teacher in some of these posts?!”

When a commenter noted that it would be worse if one of her students saw the photos, Serene fired back with: “If my 7-year-old students are on Instagram that’s a parenting issue. I have been a model for years. Teaching is not my entire life and modeling does not affect my ability to be an effective teacher.”

Serene also posted a message to all of her followers:

“First- I would like to say teachers are extremely underpaid,” she wrote, adding that she is “emotionally and mentally spent” by the end of her day in the classroom. “Maybe if more people supported education and voted in favor of it I wouldn’t need a second job.”

“I was a model long before a teacher and regardless of that, teachers ARE allowed to have personal lives,” she added. “Modesty is subjective. I am fully clothed and wearing more than what a child will see at a swimming pool.”

Serene added that the administration at the school she works for is in full support of her second career and that she’s not violating her contract in any way.

Serene Said Fans Didn’t Get to Know Her on ‘The Bachelor’

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Many fans didn’t realize that Serene has two jobs. In an interview with Bachelor Nation, she revealed that a  lot of things weren’t shown on the ABC reality show.

“I feel like there’s obviously so much that has to be cut out or didn’t make it on the show because there were so many juicy things going on,” she said. “So I feel like Bachelor Nation fans haven’t gotten to know my whole personality yet. Maybe they will get to see more in the future, we’ll see!”

Serene added that she has “always” been hard on herself and has kept certain things to herself, but that the show helped her grow.

“That’s been the biggest thing, getting to watch myself say things out loud for the first time and seeing my growth on the show has been really impactful for me,” she said.

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