Michelle Young’s season of “The Bachelorette” is continuing to unfold each week, but she says that we’re “just starting to get to the good stuff.”

The fifth-grade teacher is sitting down exclusively with BachelorNation.com to catch us up on everything now that her journey to find love as the Bachelorette is halfway through.

Check out Michelle’s entire interview — including the advice she’d give young women of color and her younger self — below!

Bachelor Nation: Now that we’re halfway through the season, how are you feeling watching it all unfold alongside fans?

Michelle Young: It’s been a whirlwind just watching myself navigate this situation! I try not to focus too much on everybody’s opinion. Everybody has an opinion. But it really has been positive! There’s been so much support with everything. But I don’t think I’m ever going to become comfortable with knowing that parents are watching me kiss multiple people. I don’t think that is ever going to get less uncomfortable.

BN: Oh, yes, we saw your posts cringing with your dad as you watched an episode together. Too funny! Since you’ve been watching the show back, has there been anything that has surprised you that you didn’t know happened while filming?

MY: Yeah, it is really weird watching it as a lead because you are learning about some things in real time with all the other viewers. For the most part, I feel like I was able to eventually spot out the red flags and make decisions about them. But you don’t spend as much time with the guys as they spend with each other, so there’s times where you really have to investigate yourself. That takes a minute to figure out how you’re feeling. But there have been some moments where I’ll be like, “Oh I didn’t realize that started this early.” So watching it back has been more just like kind of connecting the dots.

BN: Yeah, it’s such a unique experience to get to experience it all again with the viewers. During “Talking It Out,” you shared a really special story about empowering a student with affirmations. Do you have any other advice for the young people out there looking up to you?

MY: I love that story, so I love that you brought it up. I mean, this is just such a different world with social media — Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, all these different platforms. Social media just sets this standard that you have to be perfect, you have to be a world traveler, you have to be good at doing your makeup, you have to be good at all these different things, and it’s so hard to teach our youth that that’s not realistic. It’s difficult to teach them to not compare themselves to others and to be confident with who they are, especially as their brains are still developing. So for me, it’s just really showing my students and showing other young girls of color that it’s okay to embrace who you are, whoever that is, whatever that means to you. So just embrace yourself, because that is one thing that you know how to do.

BN: That is really beautiful advice. Now, do you have any advice you’d tell your younger self if she could see you now?

MY: I would tell her that it’s okay to not have it all together. It’s okay to break down and show emotion, and it’s okay to allow others to see you hurting. I typically am a very positive person and have a positive mindset, but there are times where I do struggle. It’s only been up until recently where I learned that it’s okay to show that struggle. It’s not even that I learned that it’s okay, because I knew it was okay, but just really becoming more comfortable with that. It’s something that my friends have always been able to show me, but it’s been hard for me to show my friends or significant others in the past. So I think knowing that it’s okay to not have it all together all the time is really important.

BN: Those are some words of wisdom we could all use to hear. Speaking of showing emotion, during your one-on-one time with the men, we’ve seen both you and the men show a lot of emotion. How did it feel for you that you all were able to be so vulnerable after setting that intention early on?

MY: With me putting that challenge out to the men for them to be vulnerable, I felt like the level and the depth that I showed with my vulnerability was going to set the standard. I was going to set the stage, and so by challenging them, I knew that I had to hold myself to that standard too. What I wanted the most was just to be able to create this environment where these guys could open up and be vulnerable and share their stories. I feel like so many of the men were able to share stories, honestly, for the first time that they’ve ever shared with anybody. Now the world gets to hear some of these stories and their stories really touch people. I think that’s really important. There are times where we have heavy conversations, but they’re real conversations. These were the kinds of conversations that are really important to have when you are looking to see if someone could be your person.

BN: Couldn’t agree more. You’ve talked a lot about balancing your double life as a teacher and as the Bachelorette. What have you found helpful to keep you grounded during this busy time?

MY: Being in this world, there’s just so much going on and it can be easy to lose who you are. Part of who I am is following what I’m passionate about. For me right now that’s teaching, working with the youth, and working within my community. So even though I’m crazy tired and there’s so much going on, it’s really important that I continue to show up in the fifth-grade classroom. That’s what keeps me feeling like myself. I mean, there are days where I feel insane too, but hey, I think all teachers do. Teaching is what really keeps me grounded and what keeps me feeling like me through all of this.

BN: And your students are lucky to have you! Have you gotten any strange questions from them about being the Bachelorette?

MY: When you’re an elementary school teacher, there are no off-limits weird questions. Whether it’s related to this TV show or not, I get weird questions. So I haven’t been surprised by any of them! I think that’s just a normal part of being around children.

BN: Totally get that! The 200th episode of “The Bachelorette” is airing this week and it’s a part of your season. What does it mean to you to be a part of this legacy of women and successful relationships that have come from the show?

MY: This process is so unique. Sure, it’s a TV show, but at the end of the day, the reflection, the vulnerability, the self-growth, the way you are able to build a relationship because you push aside the small talk is something that I’ve never seen anywhere else. So that’s why I embraced this. That’s why I chose this opportunity. If this was something that I didn’t believe in or didn’t think could work, then I wouldn’t have I wouldn’t have taken this opportunity. But to be a part of this process, to be a part of this 200th episode, and to be moving in a direction where we can have these conversations about race and mental health, I think is really important. I’m happy that I chose to have those conversations.

BN: We’re happy you’re having those important conversations as well and that you’re a part of this show’s legacy now too. Last question: What can we expect from the rest of your season?