Photo courtesy of ABC Press Photos

Mariela “Mari” Pepin, a 24-year-old marketing director and Meade High School graduate who lives in Odenton, is a contestant on the ABC-TV show The Bachelor. Pepin is originally from Puerto Rico and moved to Maryland as a teenager before going to college and competing in pageants.

Pepin has represented the state in Miss Teen USA 2014, Miss World America 2017 (Top 10 finish), Miss Maryland USA 2019 (Winner) and Miss USA 2019 (Top 10 finish).

This season’s bachelor is a 28-year-old real estate broker from New York City Matt James, who is the first Black bachelor in the show’s 25-season history. The show airs every Monday at 8 p.m.