Name: Michaela Bradshaw
Age: 25
Current residence: Fort Worth, TX
Occupation: Vacation club sales
Tribe designation: Vanua (Millennials)
Three words to describe you: Intelligent, fun, and competitive.
Hobbies: Traveling, eating, and cuddling.
Pet peeves: When incompetent people try to instruct me, when people do things inefficiently or wrong, when I lose, and when other people make me lose.
What does it mean to be a Millennial?
To be a Millennial is to resonate with the idea that I can design my own life. It’s the notion that I should have the desires of my heart, not because I am "entitled" to them, but because God granted me the ability to attain them.
Being a Millennial means I am bold enough to state a want and stubborn enough to work for it, despite obstacles and the opinions of others. It means that my journey is only a failure if I stop moving forward.
Personal claim to fame:
Paying off my student loan debt is the crowning achievement of my twenties thus far. As a low-income student at a pricey suburban university, I worked two to three jobs during the majority of my college career, had very little fun, and made every decision based on money.
When I graduated and began working as an admission counselor, I kept my expenses low by eating PB&J for lunch, denying myself cable and internet, sticking to my flip phone, and driving my 1992 Honda Accord. After years of being teased for my frugal ways, I got the last laugh when I paid off $31,000 in loans at the age of 23.
Inspiration in life:
My godfather is my hero. He was about 60 years old when I was born. He had no children of his own and was the ultimate father figure in my life. For 20 years, he has read the Bible every day.
When I was younger, he took care of me, showed me what to value in a man, and raised me to tell the truth, trust in God, be confident in myself, do my best, and not fear mistakes. His influence led me to be a magna cum laude college graduate. The person I am is because of him.
If you could have three things on the island, what would they be and why?
A mirror because I'll feel better if I can look better and I’ll have no idea how I look if I can't see myself. A book because it will give me something to listen to besides myself and keep my mind sharp. Being alone and thinking too much drives people crazy. Finally, chocolate because sometimes a taste of something sweet can boost my mood.
Survivor contestant you're most like:
I'd play like a combination of Tasha Fox (Cagayan, Cambodia), Kelley Wentworth (San Juan del Sur, Cambodia) and Natalie Anderson (San Juan del Sur). Tasha was in the right alliances and never had her loyalty questioned. I love that Wentworth was crafty, played hard, took risks, and was an asset in challenges. Natalie represents my inner beast; she was athletic, spunky, played a social game, made big moves, and actually won.
Reason for being on Survivor:
My motivation is the $1 million. My goal is to leave an inheritance to my children's children. Winning Survivor would be a start.
Why do you think you'll "survive" Survivor?
I will be the Sole Survivor because I will adapt to everything the game throws at me. My experience in sales has made me nearly immune to rejection, so things not going my way won't take my head out of the game. Physically, I’m in great shape. Also, I’m a fairly rational thinker, so I will separate what I do in real life from what I need to do to win this game.
