Joan Vassos Balances Reality TV Fame and Career: Still Working as School Administrator Amid Major Life Changes

Before The Golden Bachelorette season 1 lead, Joan Vassos, rose to fame, she worked as a School Administrator, but is she still holding that role amid her drastic lifestyle changes? 62-year-old Joan is from Rockville, Maryland, and got her original celebrity from appearing in The Golden Bachelor season 1, where she competed against 21 other Golden women to win lead, Gerry Turner's heart. Joan left the competition early due to a family emergency involving her daughter, but she made a lasting impression on viewers and was ultimately chosen as the lead for The Golden Bachelorette season 1.

Joan had 24 Golden men vying for her love in season 1, but had obvious frontrunner all along. Joan was fond of Pascal Ibgui, Guy Gansert, and Chock Chapple, but Chock was the man who Joan felt herself connected to much more than the others. Chock proposed to Joan in the final rose ceremony, and the pair have been engaged since season 1 finished filming in July 2024. The happy-looking couple have a long-distance relationship that requires a lot of sacrifice, but behind the scenes is the question of whether Joan is still keeping up with her old professional life.

Joan Lived A Normal Life Before Golden Fame

Joan Is The Matriarch Of Her Family

Joan seems to have been made for the spotlight. She is extremely telegenic, well-spoken, and a great role model not only for those looking for love in their sunset years, but to the masses in general. Joan has shown herself to be a considerate, adaptable, fun-loving, and honest person, which has elevated her status in the public eye. Joan is a reality TV celebrity now, having been the face of Bachelor Nation until The Golden Bachelor season 2's Mel Owens was announced as the lead. Despite not being the main Bachelor Nation face anymore, Joan is still a popular figure.

But before her reality TV celebrity, Joan lived a normal life, and very much enjoyed the nuclear family aspects of her life. Joan met her late husband, John Vassos, when she was 20, and he was 21. The pair fell in love and connected on family, and Joan has relayed that they had a "wonderful life" together, welcoming four children. Sadly, John died in 2021 of pancreatic cancer after 32 years of marriage to Joan.

Joan's mom, 92-year-old Mary deKramer, was the former matriarch of her family, but that role has been passed on to Joan. Joan endeavors to organize weekly family dinners. She stated on The Golden Bachelorette that she wanted someone who would fit into her life and understand that her family was her number one priority. Outside the importance of family and motherhood, Joan has been a professional her whole life, and her career has held significance.

Does Joan Still Work As A School Administrator?

Apparently She Still Does

In Joan's professional life before entering Bachelor Nation, she was in School Administration in Alumni Relations and Annual Giving for Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland. Joan was promoted to this role in 2021. According to Joan's LinkedIn, her role there is an "On-site" job.

Joan was also self-employed as an Interior Designer with Metropolitan Interiors LLC when she joined The Golden Bachelor. On her LinkedIn, Joan lists both jobs as something she is doing presently still, as there is no end date for either job.

Joan Is An Influencer Now

Joan Does Tons Of Brand Deals

If Joan is keeping either of the jobs she had before her Golden fame, it's a hidden fact. These days, Joan presents herself as an Influencer and Content Creator, after having amassed 196,000 followers on Instagram, which is the main social media platform she uses. Joan is dedicated to growing her following and providing her fans with updates, promotions, and inside looks at her life every day.

Joan has partnered with many different brands over the last year, and her niches seem to be with skincare and vitamins. Moreover, on the content creation side of her social media activity, Joan loves to do "Outfit of the Day" (OOTD) posts, as many of her followers are interested in her impeccable fashion choices. Cooking is another niche of Joan's. Joan's life as a grandmother also makes its way frequently onto her page, as she is dedicated to her role. Joan uses her Instagram Stories as well as her page feed to post about her promotions and brand partnerships.

The final, and biggest, part of Joan's Instagram activity and persona has to do with her relationship with Chock. Chock and Joan are together a lot, and they love letting fans in on how their relationship functions and how they endeavor to stay committed to one another. Joan's influencer lifestyle is directly tied to her relationship with Chock and time in the franchise, so it would make sense that Chock would be an integral part.

Joan Has To Juggle Her Relationship With Chock & Her Responsibilities

Joan Is Spread Thin

Joan's lifestyle has changed drastically since she became a reality TV icon from her time in the Golden franchise. Her old professional life in administration and interior design seems to have taken a backseat to her new priorities with her influencer and content creation careers. This means her new lifestyle is directly impacting her old responsibilities.

Where Joan's focus has been laying, has been with developing her relationship with Chock while showcasing how that's going. Joan and Chock are still in a long-distance relationship, so she is constantly traveling because of it. The Golden Bachelorette brought Joan the new life she has now, and there is not room for her old life and professional responsibilities to be at the center of her reality anymore. Joan could be working either of her previous jobs remotely, but it's uncertain if she is, given how spread thin she is due to her fame.