Meet Ryume Morimoto

Full name: Ryume Morimoto

Age: 19

Country: Japan

Hometown: Sapporo

Family: Father, Ichiro, council assistant, Mother, Hana, factory worker

Hair, eyes: Black, brown

Languages: Japanese, English

Occupation: IT tutor

People tell me I look like: Aaron Yoo

Aspirations: Study Information Science, become an IT professional or lecturer

Personal Inspiration: Steve Jobs

Achievements: Graduated high school with a 98% average grade, received a perfect score on university entrance tests.

Three words to describe you: Diligent,serious, loyal

What motivates you to play Scholarship?: I deferred university for a year so I could tutor ronin students, students who failed to pass their entrance exams first time around. But when I see how much these students want to get into university, it inspires me to want to teach at university level, not just to ronin. If I win, I can fund my studies, which unfortunately my parents cannot pay for at the moment, even though it is subsidized. Then I can teach at a university.

Why do you think you can win Scholarship?: I like to play computer games, and I understand how algorithms work. Every game is an algorithm, it is just a matter of figuring out how the algorithm works. I understand there is more to it that this, but it is a part of it.

What experiences will you bring with you, to help you compete?: The inspiration of my students. I know they think I will make a good lecturer, and if I want to be a professional in IT, I need to go to university, and so I will bring this determination and inspiration with me.

Meet Parker Wu

Full name: Parker Lee Wu

Age: 18

Country: Canada

Hometown: London

Family: Father, David, lawyer. Mother, Lisa, obstetrician. Sister, Marie, 15

Hair, eyes: Black, brown

Languages: English, French, Mandarin

Occupation: Waiter

People tell me I look like: Harry Shum Jr

Aspirations: Study Medecine, become a specialist doctor

Personal Inspiration: His mother Lisa

Achievements: Graduated high school with a 4.3 GPO, Athletics representative for Ontario

Three words to describe you: Motivated, competitive, honest.

What motivates you to play Scholarship?: When my mother’s family moved to Canada, she was fourteen, she didn’t speak any English and she didn’t even know what an obstetrician was, and now she’s a successful practice owner. I want to be like her- She worked as a waitress to fund her own studies, and I have done that too. Winning this competition will not only fast-track that but also let me prove to myself that I can be the best competitor in the game, like my mother is.

Why do you think you can win Scholarship?: I believe I’m smart enough, athletic enough and competitive enough to outplay the other competitors. Plus, I believe honesty is the best policy, so nobody should have any reason to get angry at me! I’m pretty easy to get along with.

What experiences will you bring with you, to help you compete?: Obviously, representing Ontario in athletic events has helped me physically prepare for the challenges, and I believe that the lessons in hard work and determination I have learnt from my parents will help me also.

Meet Stasie Petrova

Full name: Anastasia Sergeyovna Petrova

Age: 18

Country: Russia

Hometown: St Petersburg

Family: Father, Sergey, policeman. Mother, Svetlana, nurse.

Hair, eyes: Blonde, blue

Languages: Russian, English, French

Occupation: Freelance sketch artist

People tell me I look like: Clemence Poesy

Aspirations: Study at art school, become a recognized artist.

Personal Inspiration: M.C.Escher

Achievements: Graduated high school in top 99th percentile of Russia

Three words to describe you: Artistic, intuitive, focussed.

What motivates you to play Scholarship?: Partly to fund art studies, which can be expensive, but mostly to unburden my parents who have spent a lot of time and money funding my artwork. With this scholarship, I can do that myself.

Why do you think you can win Scholarship?: Because I like to do well. I don’t want to come all the way here and do badly. I believe I make my own future, so I believe I can win.

What experiences will you bring with you, to help you compete?: I have been blessed in that through my art I have experienced many things that I don’t think the other competitors will understand. I bring this with me to help me focus my gameplay.

Meet Ixchel Vargas

Full name: Ixchel Maria Vargas Colossi

Age: 18

Country: El Salvador

Hometown: San Salvador

Family: Father, Miguel Vargas, shopkeeper. Brother, Fernando (12)

Hair, eyes: Brown, brown

Languages: Spanish, English

Occupation: Competitive triathlete/shop assistant

People tell me I look like: Rosario Dawson

Aspirations: Study Politics and Law and become a Politician.

Personal Inspiration: Eva Peron, former First Lady of Argentina

Achievements: Winner of several national triathlon competitions in junior womens’ sections, graduated high school with General Bachelors Degree

Three words to describe you: Competitive, sassy, tough

What motivates you to play Scholarship?: I cannot afford university unless I win more triathlons, but this will pay for that.

Why do you think you can win Scholarship?: I am dedicated to being the best I can be. When I enter a competition, I enter with the expectation to win. I can only try, but I will try my best, and I believe I can do anything if I try hard enough.

What experiences will you bring with you, to help you compete?: My experiences with triathlons. They are tough and they challenge you, but they remind me than I am tough and I overcome challenges.

What is Scholarship?

Scholarship: The Ultimate Challenge is the latest in reality television, and runs on a format you may recognise, but in a brand new context.

20 teenagers from around the world have to make a home for themselves for an entire month on a beach in Eastern Mexico. Every day, television personality James Carpenter will lead the contestants through a challenge that will test them physically, intellectually, socially and of course, emotionally. At any moment, the competitor with the least amount of credits could be sent home- so winning is vital!

Scholarship: The Ultimate Challenge is the search for the ultimate all-rounder. Not only will the winner have proven themselves as a team player, a physical threat, a fantastic competitor with a drive to succeed… and did we mention that the 20 competitors came from a pool of academic over-achievers? Only the most intelligent teenagers, proven based on their school records, were selected for the show. When your nineteen other competitors are all just as smart as you, you’re going to have to dig deeper and use more than just your brain if you want win!

Not only will you have be a challenge competitor, but you’re living on a beach with 19 other teenagers from all over the world. Cultural clashes are imminent, personalities may not always get along, and when you add the stress of limited food, a do-it-yourself shelter and a lack of ways to while away your free time… tensions will get high and conflict will be a part of every single day. Do you have what it takes to overcome the social difficulties of communal life? Will you make friends, enemies, or even find love? Will you make it through to the end, and set yourself up for a lifetime of success?

Anything is possible with Scholarship: The Ultimate Challenge.

Scholarship: The Ultimate Challenge

Scholarship: The Ultimate Challenge

Welcome to the Scholarship Blog, where you will find behind the scenes information from the Scholarship set on the cast, challenges and more. Keep up to date with interviews, updates and exciting excerpts from the to-be-released Scholarship first season.