Meet The Bachelor's Abigail Heringer, Matt James' First Impression Rose Pick

The Bachelor's Matt James picked Abigail Heringer as the winner of the first impression rose. Get to know more about the 25-year-old here!

By Cydney Contreras Jan 05, 2021 3:00 AMTags
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Matt James' journey to find love on The Bachelor has commenced and he has his eye on one lady in particular: Abigail Heringer.

In an exclusive interview with E! News, The Bachelor explained that it wasn't hard to choose which of the 40 women to give the first impression rose to. "She's incredible, like, she went above and beyond what I was hoping I would experience that first night and that's authenticity. Someone being open, someone being vulnerable, she did all those things, and it was unwarranted. I'm not having to ask. She's just offering it up and I'm just like, ‘Man, that's what I'm looking for.' I'm looking for something real."

He added, "I wanted her to know that I appreciated her and her candidness and willingness to be like that so it was a no-brainer for me."

But for Bachelor viewers who are looking to know even more about Abigail, you've come to the right place. E! News has all the need-to-know info about her below:

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A Doing a Deep Dive Into Matt James' Bachelor Contestants

She's the First Hearing-Impaired Contestant in Bachelor Nation History:

Chris Harrison previously revealed that the 25-year-old was born deaf when discussing Matt James' contestants. "Abigail is one of our favorites. This is an absolute gem of a woman, impossible not to fall in love with," the host shared. "Abigail has an incredible story. She's the first hearing-impaired person we've ever had on the show."

ABC

 

In an interview with the Salem Statesman Journal, her mother, Suzie Heringer, explained Abigail and her sister, Rachel, were both born with congenital hearing loss. The sisters later underwent surgery to get cochlear implants, with Abigail receiving hers when she was two.

Her mother added that she was "surprised" Abigail was willing to discuss her hearing problems, saying, "It's something she usually doesn't talk much about."

Abigail Is an Avid Traveler:

Scattered between Instagram pictures of Abigail and her friends are photos of the contestant's various trips abroad. In 2019, the Linfield College graduate traveled to Europe with her sister and friends, where the group strolled through the streets of Paris and dined on chocolate in Switzerland. She captioned a pic of the Eiffel Tower, "Only 2 days in and I've decided I'm staying."

When she's not getting extra stamps on her passport, Abigail seems to enjoy camping at different sites across the pacific northwest. 

The Bachelor/ABC/Facebook

Her Mom Is Skeptical She'll Find True Love on the Show:

In Suzie's candid interview, the mom expressed apprehension about her daughter finding her happily ever after on reality TV. As she put it, "To be honest, I don't think this is a great way to meet your forever person." 

However, Suzie acknowledged that the pandemic has made it difficult for Abigail to meet other men and this might be the best possible solution, describing the reality show as "a safe way to date."

More importantly, Suzie said that she's optimistic about Abigail joining the show as it may help other people with hearing loss. "With her disability, if that can impact one other person, it's worth sharing the story," she reflected. 

Abigail Loves a Steal—and Target, too!:

According to Abigail's mother, she is quite money conscientious and not one to splurge. She told the Statesman, "My guess is her wardrobe will be the least expensive there."

What's more is the 25-year-old loves a Target moment, revealing on her Instagram that she found the cutest red and black coat at the store. Plus, her rain boats are from none other than Nordstrom Rack. In other words, Abigail is a bargain hunter at heart. 

She Applied to The Bachelor on a Whim After Being Furloughed:

Following graduation from Linfield College, Abigail and her sister Rachel moved to Portland, where she began working as a financial analyst for a marketing and event company.

But her mom told the Salem Statesman that Abigail was furloughed over the summer, giving her the time and opportunity to take part in the lengthy application process on a "whim."

The Salem Statesmen added that Suzie said it was "a bit out of character" for her daughter to apply but the family is supportive. 

To learn more about the other 39 contestants, check out our gallery here!

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