‘Bachelor in Paradise’: Serene Has Left Teaching Since Moving in With Brandon
After getting engaged to Brandon Jones on Bachelor In Paradise, Serene Russell is looking forward to starting the next chapter of her life. She’s leaving behind her hometown of Oklahoma City. And she’s also moving on from her teaching career to explore new opportunities.
‘Bachelor In Paradise’ stars Brandon and Serene are still together and have moved to San Diego
Brandon and Serene met on Bachelor In Paradise Season 8 and fell for each other pretty quickly. The couple remained one of the strongest of the season. And with Brandon’s proposal in the finale, they left Paradise engaged.
The reality stars recently confirmed that they found an apartment in San Diego and moved in together after driving cross-country from Oklahoma. “We had a nice little trip; it was fun,” Brandon told Bachelor Nation. “It tested us, but we made it through,” Serene added with a laugh.
Serene left her teaching job before filming ‘Bachelor in Paradise’
Serene made her Bachelor Nation debut on Clayton Echard‘s season of The Bachelor. At the time, she was working as an elementary school teacher in her hometown of Oklahoma City.
But in May 2022, a month before she went to Mexico to film Bachelor in Paradise Season 8, Serene revealed that she was leaving her teaching job. The 32-year-old noted that she studied journalism and communications in college. And she explained that she fell into teaching because she was offered the position by her old elementary school.
“My journey in education was never one I expected,” Serene wrote in an Instagram post. “I’ve been SO blessed to work in the community I grew up in. Becoming a teacher at the school that raised me was the most incredible and eye-opening experience.”
The reality star noted that she was ready to move on and pursue a job in her degree field. “At this time in my life, I am deciding to leave education,” she added. “I’ve always been so passionate about media/storytelling and am beyond excited to give that part of me a chance!”
The ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ star reveals what her dream career would look like
While Bachelor in Paradise was still on the air, Brandon and Serene had to keep their relationship secret. They snuck around incognito. And they couldn’t pursue any big career opportunities until their romance was confirmed in the finale.
“I’ve been wanting to kind of venture back into my degree field,” Serene told Bachelor Nation. “So I’ve been waiting to do that, but I obviously couldn’t job search without spoiling that I’m moving to the same city as Brandon.”
When asked what her dream job would be, Serene noted it would be media related. “Honestly, I would love to do any kind of hosting,” she said. “I love to talk, I Iove to tell stories.”
“Whether that’s news or retelling stuff … just drawing the eye to a piece of information — or teaching someone about something,” she continued. “It’s very broad for me.”
