Before Jenn Tran was The Bachelorette's first Asian American lead, she was a Wisconsin Badger

Before she was "The Bachelorette," she was a Wisconsin Badger.

That's right, Jenn Tran — the show's first Asian American lead — is a University of Wisconsin-Madison alum.

Tran — a physician assistant student from Miami — made it to the top six on this past season of "The Bachelor" with Joey Graziadei, who also happens to have ties to the Cheese State. Tran was eliminated in Episode 7, right before hometown visits.

During Monday night's "Bachelor" Season 28 finale, twenty-six-year-old Tran was announced as the next "Bachelorette" lead.

Who is Jenn Tran?

According to a press release from ABC, "Tran is a sweet and compassionate woman who has dedicated her life to helping others and is currently studying to become a physician assistant. ... When she’s not studying, Tran loves reading, paddleboarding and traveling whenever she has the chance," USA Today reported.

"Honestly, I feel like just yesterday I was literally in the emergency room in my scrubs, working," Tran told host Jesse Palmer on Monday night's finale. "And, here I am in stilettos in this little gown or whatever."

She told Palmer that she feels "so so grateful and so honored" to be the franchise's first Asian American "Bachelorette."

"Growing up, I've always wanted to see Asian representation on TV," Tran said on the show. "And I feel like it was really sparse. Any time Asians were in the media, it was to fill a supporting character role, to fulfill some sort of stereotype, and I always felt really boxed in by that because I was like, 'I don't see myself on screen. I don't see myself as a main character.'"

She continued, "And now to be here today standing in this position being like, 'I am going to lead my own love story. I am going to be the main character in my story,' I just can't help but think about how many people I'm inspiring and how many lives I am changing."

In 2017, the franchise made its first major move toward diversity by casting Rachel Lindsay, a Marquette University Law School graduate, as the first Black "Bachelorette" lead.

As Tran heads into filming for her season in Los Angeles, she said she'll be looking for her person. She wants all of the "cheeky banter" and "someone who's going to be able to take it as much as they can dish it."

What does she hope happens at the end of her journey on the show?

"Well, obviously, I hope I have a ring on this finger," she told Palmer, pointing to her hand. "I feel like that's definitely the end goal here."

A glimpse into Jenn Tran's time as a Wisconsin Badger

Now, let's rewind to Tran's time in our state capital.

In May 2020, Tran shared a photo of herself holding up her graduation cap with the university's logo on it. "Did the thing!!" her caption read.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisconsin's class of 2020 graduation celebration was pushed to September 2021. Tran shared a carousel of photos from it, the first being her in cap and gown throwing up a "W" with her hands.

"My heart is full but my liver is hurting… wisco ily forever see u @ the next one !!! 🔴⚪️🔴⚪️" she captioned the post. The Double U sports bar also made a cameo on her 'gram.

Tran earned her bachelor's of science in molecular biology from Wisconsin and was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, according to her LinkedIn profile. With the sorority, she served as a Red Dress chairperson and spearheaded a big gala to support women's cardiovascular health locally, and also the Alpha Phi Foundation.

"Being this year’s Red Dress Chairman was the most stressful yet rewarding experience," she said in a March 2020 Instagram post from the event. "The impact that we’ve all made on women’s heart health is something that will touch many lives and I’m so grateful to have been a part of something so big. HUGE thank you to my red dress committee, the concourse hotel, and aphi for helping us pull this off 🥰🙏🏻🙏🏻 Now time to finally get some sleeep!!!!"

During her college days, Tran also posted a fair share of fits dripped out in school spirit. The cropped Bucky tube top paired with a red cheer skirt, beads and a temporary tattoo "W" on her face — iconic.

USA Today contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Before Jenn Tran was 'The Bachelorette,' she was a Wisconsin Badger