Ashley Tolbert: Where is the Squid Game Contestant is Now?

Despite the heavy emphasis on competition, Netflix’s ‘Squid Game: The Challenge‘ has also seen many heartwarming friendships blossom during the journey that the various contestants take part in. Season 1 saw Ashley Tolbert (Player 278) become good friends with Phalisia Boothe (Player 229). In fact, when the latter was in danger of getting eliminated, having risked it all for a test, Ashley seemed just as nervous as her friend, if not more, due to the strong bond that the two women had formed.

That said, a good bond of friendship can often be a double-edged sword in a place like the ‘Squid Game‘ inspired reality show, given how Ashley and Phalisia found themselves facing each other at one point, knowing that only one of them could proceed ahead in the game. During this situation, Ashley was especially heartbroken as she had come to care for her friend a great deal and did not want to be the one directly responsible for Phalisia’s elimination.

Of course, just because Ashley was torn about Phalisia’s elimination did not necessarily mean that she was not going to give it her all. After all, with $4.56 million on the line, one can hardly be blamed for doing anything it takes to secure a win. With her memorable on-screen performance, Ashley has earned many fans who are eager to learn about the latest happenings in the life of the reality TV star.

Ashley Tolbert is Now a Civil Rights Investigator

Reminiscing about her younger years, Ashley Tolbert shared in ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ how she was a great student when it came to her grades. However, her behavior, she admitted, did grieve many around her. As such, she was taken under the wong of many teachers and counselors, who apparently felt it their duty to guide her to the path they thought would help her the most. A resident of Atlanta, Georgia, she was a student at the North Atlanta High School from 2006 to 2010.

In 2010, Ashley became a student at Smith College and apparently had quite a culture shock. Having been surrounded by a primarily black community in her younger years, she was taken aback by the number of Caucasian people she came across. Overall, she admitted that her years in college helped her become the woman she is today. The Netflix star spent 2013 in China as a foreign student. During this time, she attended the Capital Normal University for the 5-month long spring semester as a part of the Middlebury College Beijing China program.

Ashley graduated from Smith College in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Government. From Aprile 2016 to August of the same year, she was an ESL Teacher in Shanghai City, China. The same year also saw her joining Morehouse School of Medicine in a professional as well as an educational capacity. Along with starting her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree studies, she took up the role of Researcher for the institute in October 2016, retaining the position until the next month. In December 2016, Ashley became a Graduate Research Assistant for Morehouse School of Medicine.

May 2017 saw Ashley joining Emory University as a Graduate Research Assistant as well. She once again became a Researcher for Morehouse School of Medicine in August 2017, keeping the role until September 2017. In May 2018, the Netflix star left her position as a Graduate Research Assistant at both institutes. The year also saw her completing her MPH degree. Since 2019, Ashley has been working for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in relation to HIPAA Investigations as a Civil Rights Investigator.

Based in Georgia’s Atlanta Metropolitan Area, Ashley is a woman of many talents. She has an active interest in bodybuilding and actually took part in her first-ever Cydney Gillon Peach Classic in May of 2022. Additionally, she is a proud mother of a boy whom she seems to adore very much. No matter the situation, Ashelye strives to live life to the fullest and not let any opportunity go by, and these qualities certainly helped her get a long way in the Netflix competition.