Prior Lake native Becca Kufrin competes on ABC's 'Bachelor'

Prior Lake American

A national eye will turn to Prior Lake on New Year’s Day when Becca Kufrin, 27, will step out of a limo and greet Arie Luyendyk Jr. on the premiere of “The Bachelor.”

Kufrin graduated from Prior Lake High School in 2008, according to her LinkedIn profile. She then attended Minnesota State University in Mankato and earned a degree in mass communications. She currently works as a publicist in the Twin Cities area.

Kufrin and 28 other women will compete for the heart of Luyendyk, who is a former race car driver and current real estate agent who made it to the top two of an earlier season of ABC Network’s “The Bachelorette,” before getting sent home by Emily Maynard in 2012.

Kufrin is the only Minnesotan on the show. Contestants range in age from 22-32. Luyendyk, the bachelor himself, is 36.

Kufrin is featured in the Bachelor’s “Meet the Home Chefs” video where she says she loves cooking, salsa dancing, hot yoga, beach days and bonfires.

Kufrin is also introduced in the classic contestant biography, where she lists her favorite movies, how many tattoos she has (three), five things she can’t live without (chapstick, facial lotion, bobby pins, popcorn, stamps) and more.

Kufrin’s mom, Jill, worked at Grainwood Elementary for 20 years before retiring in 2013.

The average season takes about seven weeks to film, during which no contestant can have technology, but there are also no magazines or books allowed, according to a Buzzfeed article about Bachelor secrets.

Contestants aren’t paid to appear on the show and the women have to buy all their own gowns.

If Kufrin makes it to the top four, she’ll be able to take Luyendyk on a hometown date to Prior Lake, that approximately one fourth of the episode will exclusively focus on.

Kufrin isn’t the only contestant from the southwest metro in Bachelor history. Whitney Fransway, Chanhassen native and Eden Prairie High School alumni, competed in the last season and came in eighth.

Of course, Kufrin could get sent home quickly but the show is very strict about spoilers, so the general public won’t know what happens until it airs. If she does make it far in the show and she’s a viewer favorite, there’s even a possibility that Kufrin could become the Bachelorette at some point.

If you’re wanting to root for Prior Lake native Kufrin, put her as the winner the 2018 Bachelor Fantasy League or tune in to ABC at 7 p.m. Jan. 1.