New ‘Bachelorette’ Hannah Brown Reveals How Colton Underwood’s Season Prepared Her

Hannah Brown was officially named as The Bachelorette on Tuesday, March 12, and the 24-year-old is more than ready for her new role.

Brown first entered the franchise as a contestant on Colton Underwood‘s season of The Bachelor, and she told PEOPLE that the experience taught her valuable lessons about herself and ultimately prepared her for her next step.

“I didn’t end up with Colton, but I ended up loving myself more,” she said. “I came into that show as someone who wasn’t as open as I am now. I was terrified to be my true self because I felt that it wasn’t enough. But I allowed myself to break down those walls.”

The Alabama native added that she’s happy for Underwood, who ended up with contestant Cassie Randolph after a dramatic finale.

“I’m happy for Colton. He was able to choose somebody and it wasn’t me, and that’s okay,” she said. “I’ve moved on. And I’m excited to find my person.”

While some contestants arrive on The Bachelor hoping for a career as an Instagram influencer rather than true love, Brown shared that she’s focused on the latter.

“This is something I really believe in,” she said. “And at the end of the day, I want somebody who loves me and chooses me. I’m ready for my moment.”

The former pageant contestant also told Glamour that she’s fully ready to meet her future husband during her time as The Bachelorette.

“Even before The Bachelorette announcement, it was good for me to figure out who I am and what I want,” Brown said. “You can fall in love on this show, and if my person is here on this new journey with me, that’s amazing. I’m so open to it. I’m not here to just be on TV. I truly believe in this experience and want to find my person.”

Brown added that her experience on The Bachelor allowed her to fully embrace being herself, a concept that had been scary to her prior to the show.

“If you don’t know you, how can you bring that into a relationship?” she queried. “I came in to The Bachelor not ready to be me, and I ended up embracing me. Now I want to continue knowing every part of me and being able to be like, This is me, take it or leave it. If you’re going to leave it, you weren’t good enough or didn’t deserve it anyway. That’s how any woman should feel. Any man, too. You should be chosen, and you should choose them back every single day. Just getting to that place of self-worth is really important to me.”

Brown’s season of The Bachelorette premieres May 13 on ABC.

Photo Credit: ABC