On the latest season on the Bachelor, one contestant who stepped out of the limo was New Trier alum Elizabeth Whitelaw.

Before embarking on this crazy journey, Whitelaw attended University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and got a B.S in Psychology, and then she moved to Texas to work as a marketing manager.

She definitely feels as though New Trier set her up for success, and appreciates the quality of education that she was able to receive throughout her high school career.

“I feel like I got the best education possible, had the best extracurriculars at my disposal, and I grew my talents in the music, dance, and theatre department greatly in my time there,” she said.

Speaking of her talents in music, dance, and theatre, Music Department Chair David Ladd spoke highly of Whitelaw and her involvement in the arts while a student at New Trier.

“I remember her being a talented young lady who could do it all, strong skills in all three realms of musical theatre; singing, dancing and acting. She worked hard at her craft and had many friends in the class.”

Going back to Whitelaw’s experience on the Bachelor, it was a unique experience that she had a lot to share about.

It all began when host Chris Harrison popped up on TV and announced that there was a casting call in Dallas, only a few blocks away from where Whitelaw lives. “Why not?” she said.

From then on, the entire process was long and rigorous. She explained that after the application, you move on to an interview and then later the final casting process that takes place over a course of many weeks.

There were many obstacles before even going on the show, one being the question of who the Bachelor would be.

Before Nick was announced, Whitelaw predicted that the Bachelor would be Robby, Chase, or Luke, three men from JoJo’s season.

“I went through months of wondering what my relationship with each of those men would be like,” She said. “So, when Nick was announced, I was shocked. But, I figured this was a great opportunity to get to know someone I would normally not pursue had I met him out with friends.”

Once on the show, a main disappointment Whitelaw felt was the difficulty in forming a relationship with Nick.

“I felt like Nick didn’t get to know me, I didn’t get to know him, and with other girls vying for his attention it was difficult to get any time with him.”

Although the show presented many challenges, Whitelaw still came out with good friends, a positive attitude, and appreciation for New Trier and how it helped get her where she is today.

“New Trier helped give me the confidence, as a woman, to chase after my ambitions in life; whether it’s to start my own app company, blog, or to take an adventure of a lifetime on a reality show.”