Wisconsin
What to know about ‘The Bachelorette’ Jenn Tran, who’s also a UW-Madison alum
‘The Bear,’ ‘Only Murders,’ and more of this summer’s hottest TV shows
USA TODAY TV critic Kelly Lawler lists this summer’s must-see TV shows, including the return of “The Bear” and “Only Murders in the Building.”
Here’s what to know about Jenn Tran, “The Bachelorette” of Season 21 — who also happens to be a University of Wisconsin-Madison alum.
Tran appeared on “The Bachelor” last season, and during the finale, was announced as the next “Bachelorette.”
How did she end up on “The Bachelor” in the first place? Did she ever dream she’d become “The Bachelorette”? And, how does it feel to be the show’s first Asian American lead?
After chatting with Tran over Zoom last week, we’ve answered all of these questions and more:
How old is ‘Bachelorette’ Jenn Tran?
26
Where is ‘Bachelorette’ Jenn Tran from?
She was born in New Jersey after her parents and brother immigrated to the United States from Vietnam, Tran shared in a “Get Ready with Me”-style video “Bachelor Nation” posted in May in celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Jenn Tran is ‘The Bachelorette’s’ first Asian American lead
“It’s overwhelming,” Tran told the Journal Sentinel. “There’s a lot of emotions around it.”
Mainly, she’s grateful and honored.
Tran hopes to inspire young Asian American girls who are “dealing with the same things” she did as a kid — “having a bit of an identity crisis and not knowing where they fit in” — as well as anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t fit in somewhere.
“I never would’ve dreamed of becoming the role model I once needed when I was a kid,” she said. “It’s really quite full-circle and surreal.”
What does ‘Bachelorette’ Jenn Tran do?
Tran has been working toward becoming a physician assistant, but is currently taking a “little break” from PA school, which is in south Miami. In the words of her favorite artist Taylor Swift, Tran has “a lot going on at the moment.”
“I want to be able to really focus on PA school the best that I can because the end goal is to be a good provider,” Tran said. “I’m just pushing it off until I have a lot more time to dedicate to it.”
Jenn Tran’s time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Tran transferred in the middle of her sophomore year to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied molecular biology.
“Madison just seemed like the best college town — and it definitely was,” she said.
She enjoyed going to Badger games and playing club lacrosse. Her hangouts included the Memorial Union Terrace, Eno Vino Wine Bar and Bistro (where she used to work) and The Coopers Tavern.
Tran was in the class of 2020, so her spring commencement was virtual. She returned to Madison in September 2021 for an in-person graduation celebration.
Tran wants to make it back sometime during a summer and also for a UW football game.
Read more about Tran’s Madison days here.
How did Jenn Tran end up on ‘The Bachelor’?
Tran got a direct message on Instagram from a casting producer who had come across her PA school TikToks, she said, and was offered an interview.
At the time, she wondered if it was a scam and didn’t think she was going to go through with it.
“I did the interviews, and then, one thing led to another,” she said.
Tran made it to the top six on this past season of “The Bachelor” with Joey Graziadei, who also has ties to Wisconsin. She was announced as the next “Bachelorette” lead on the Season 28 finale of “The Bachelor.”
Did Jenn Tran ever dream she’d be ‘The Bachelorette’?
“God no,” Tran said, laughing. “I never saw myself in this role at all.”
After her time on “The Bachelor,” she was just going to go right back to PA school.
So, when she got a call about “The Bachelorette,” she said, it really took her by surprise. She went through meetings and interviews for it. And, while she was initially “on the fence,” she ended up deciding to give it a whirl.
“I am a hopeless romantic and I really believe in true love and finding your partner,” she said. “I hadn’t ever really been in love before. And, I know how fast connections can build the first time around, so I was like, this is a really good environment for that to happen. And, I wanted to follow my dreams and fall in love.”
What does ‘Bachelorette’ Jenn Tran like to do?
Tran enjoys working out, painting, paddleboarding, reading and traveling.
Who are the contestants vying for ‘Bachelorette’ Jenn Tran’s heart?
There are 25 suitors, including the aerospace engineer twin brother of a “Bachelor Nation” alum, medical school students, entrepreneurs and former athletes.
Here are their names and bios.
How to watch ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 21
“The Bachelorette” Season 21 premiere is at 7 p.m. CT July 8 on ABC. It streams on Hulu the next day.
Wisconsin
Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars
The Wisconsin stepmother from hell accused of abusing her 35-pound 14-year-old daughter by depriving her of food and water has entered a no-contest plea in the twisted case.
Melissa Goodman, 52, now faces up to 46 years in prison if she’s handed the maximum sentence for charges of chronic neglect causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage and false imprisonment.
She’s set to be sentenced on July 1.
Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, has been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter.
Goodman’s daughter Savanna Goodman and her girlfriend Kayla Stemler were also charged over the alleged abuse, People reported.
The family is accused of locking the teen in a bedroom without a mattress, restricting her to only her room for years and depriving her of food and water, according to Wisconsin prosecutors.
The mobile home they lived in became a house of horrors for the teenager, who was mistaken for a 6-year-old when she was found by cops in August 2025 and rushed to the hospital.
Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill.
Responding officers found her weighing just 35 pounds; she was hospitalized with multi-organ dysfunction, including respiratory failure and pancreatitis.

From 2020 until August 2025, the victim, whose name is not disclosed because she is a minor, was allegedly isolated in a trailer on Hattie Lane, in Oneida, Wisconsin.
Extended family members were told she was away on vacation or with other relatives to explain her absence.
Wisconsin
‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair
When “Song Sung Blue” – the biopic about Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning & Thunder – had a premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee last December, star Hugh Jackman gave Claire Sardina (played in the film by Kate Hudson) an engraved bench honoring Lighting & Thunder to be installed at Wisconsin State Fair Park.
In August, Sardina will get to have a seat on that bench – and sing again on a State Fair stage.
Sardina will perform with tribute act So Good: The Neil Diamond Experience Aug. 9 at the Bank Five Nine Amphitheater, the largest stage at the fair featuring free concerts with admission.
For Sardina, it will be a return to a place central to Lighting & Thunder. The band performed in the Milwaukee area from 1989 until Mike Sardina, aka Lightning, passed away in 2006. The State Fair was one of their favorite places to play, and the couple got married there in 1994.
The couple’s wild story – from a performance at a Pearl Jam Summerfest concert to major health issues – was the subject of the documentary “Song Sung Blue” that inspired the biopic, and earned Hudson an Oscar nomination for portraying Claire Sardina.
Fair officials May 8 revealed the full headliner lineup for the stage, which includes:
- Aug. 6: Sixteen Candles
- Aug. 7 and 8: Here Come The Mummies
- Aug. 10 and 11: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
- Aug. 12: Hairbangers Ball
- Aug. 13: Too Hype Crew
- Aug. 14: The Gufs
- Aug. 15: Let’s Sing Taylor – An Unofficial Live Tribute Show
- Aug. 16: Pat McCurdy
All Bank Five Nine Amphitheater concerts are included with fair admission.
The lineup is also nearly complete for the Bank Five Nine Main Stage, with just a show on Aug. 11 to be announced.
Tickets are on sale for these shows at wistatefair.com and include same-day fair admission:
- Aug. 6: Hairball
- Aug. 7: Nelly
- Aug. 8: Bailey Zimmerman with Chandler Walters
- Aug. 9: Wynonna Judd and Melissa Etheridge
- Aug. 10: For King + Country with Rachel Lampa
- Aug. 12: John Mulaney
- Aug. 13: The All-American Rejects with Joyce Manor
- Aug. 14: Lindsey Stirling with PVRIS
- Aug. 15: AJR with Em Beihold
- Aug. 16: The Beach Boys
Wisconsin
Wisconsin universities and schools impacted by Canvas data breach
WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW/GRAY NEWS) – A ransomware group has claimed to have breached the learning management system Canvas, possibly exposing the personal information of students, teachers and staff across the country.
According to a statement from the Universities of Wisconsin website, they were notified of a nationwide security breach experienced by Instructure, the provider of Canvas. Universities of Wisconsin schools use the cloud-based management system.
UW-Stevens Point tells NewsChannel 7 they have not confirmed UWSP was involved in the breach, but did send communication that Canvas was down and students should not perform any asked actions if prompted, as it may not be legitimate while Canvas is down.
Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, posted on May 1 about a cybersecurity incident that had been reported and was under investigation.
The next day, Chief Information Security Officer Steve Proud wrote that the information involved in the attack included names, student ID numbers, messages between users and email addresses.
“At this time, we have found no evidence that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers, or financial information were involved. If that changes, we will notify any impacted institutions,” he wrote.
The Wausau School District sent a letter to parents Wednesday regarding the cybersecurity incident. They said there is no evidence that passwords, single-sign-on credentials, financial information or social security numbers were impacted. They stressed that type of information is not stored in Canvas.
Click here to download the WSAW news app or WSAW First Alert weather app.
Click here to submit a news tip or story idea.
Copyright 2026 WSAW. All rights reserved.
-
Science5 minutes agoVideo: Pentagon Releases U.F.O. Files
-
Health11 minutes agoHantavirus Vaccines and Treatments Are in the Pipeline
-
Culture23 minutes agoBook Review: ‘Selling Opportunity,’ by Mary Lisa Gavenas
-
Lifestyle29 minutes agoHunting For Lexapro Clocks, Viagra Neckties and Other Vintage Pharmaceutical Merch
-
Technology41 minutes agoDyson’s powerful 360 Vis Nav robovac is down to $279.99 for a limited time
-
World48 minutes agoAs Trump forces NATO to pay up, alliance races to close military gap with US
-
Politics53 minutes agoInside the US military playbook to cripple Iran if nuclear talks collapse
-
Health59 minutes agoFitness expert visits gyms nationwide, shouts out 4 clubs for ‘getting it right’