Bates College Alum Becomes a Real-Life Champion In Netflix’s “Squid Game: The Challenge”

Lewiston, Maine is beloved to many and currently up on the list that is shouting our city out to the rooftops is Perla Figuereo,  the official winner of “Squid Game: The Challenge” on Netflix, according to Central Maine.

She may be $4.56 million richer, but the Bates College alum fondly remembers hanging in Lewiston with friends, diving into the epic pastries at the Italian Bakery and grabbing snacks late at night at Forage Market.

As per the article, the 2021 Bates College student body president has been crowned the winner of Season 2 of Netflix’s massively popular competition series!

The excitement is palpable, especially for those who watched her journey as she rose from Bates campus leader to an international champion.

Her journey has been nothing short of epic and inspirational. 

She speaks to Entertainment Tonight below via YouTube about the entire experience on the show.

According to Central Maine, she now lives in Los Angeles and started the show with her brother with determination and resilience. Episode after episode, she held her ground and out strategized all the others.  

Netflix's Squid Games Winner

The astonishing $4.56 million prize obviously made instant headlines.

But what we found most powerful about her experience is how humble and down to earth Perla is. She is an honest, real person that says what she feels and isn’t shy about her determination that led to her triumph.

And remember, this show is on the global stage, for young Mainers watching from home, her win is more then just a TV competition, it’s a reminder that grit and fearlessness can take you to where your dreams are.  

She speaks fondly of her years in Lewiston, often reflecting on how the city reminded her of her hometown in the Bronx.

Read More: This Maine School Wins Half a Million Dollars for Being the Best

Both places, she says, may get a bad rap at times, but they’re full of resilient, determined people. In Lewiston, she found a true second home, one that helped shape the remarkable champion she is today.