In August 2026, nine Chime Scholars stood up in front of a live audience at Chime HQ and told the kinds of stories people don’t usually hear out loud. A mom who went back to college more than once before she found her calling. A shy engineering student who built an online community to help other students find scholarships. An architecture student who learned to read blueprints by building his family’s home by hand. That night was the Chime Scholar Ambassador Storytelling Showcase, the closing event of the 2026 Ambassador Program CoLabL designed with the Chime Scholars Foundation. CSF brought CoLabL in to help its ambassadors own their stories and share them in a way that inspires the next class of scholars to apply.

The road to that stage started in January. Ambassadors met virtually to build community and learn one simple framework: Past, Pivot, Purpose.

• Past – a past experience or relationship that impacted who we are
• Pivot – a change we made that supported progress towards our goals
• Purpose – clarity on what we stand for and aspire to achieve

They practiced in small breakout groups, where listeners played back what they heard. They also sat down with Chime’s communications and social media leaders to talk about brand voice and what makes a story feel credible, not performative. In July, Chime employees volunteered as coaches. They listened to each ambassador’s 3 to 4 minute story and gave feedback before the big night.

“Buildings don’t appear overnight. They take a vision, a blueprint, countless people working together, and the resilience to keep building even if the plans change.”
— Leo, Chime Scholar Ambassador

Every story was different. Different campuses, different ages, different paths. The common thread was people. Parents who gave up everything familiar. A mentor who read ten drafts of a personal statement. And a room full of Chimers who showed up for them. By the end of the night, the audience had left 64 personal messages for the ambassadors and offered resume reviews, practice interviews and introductions to their networks. Scholar ambassador storytelling like this captures what CSF is about: someone believing in you before you fully believe in yourself. It’s also proof of what CoLabL believes most. Relationships drive change.

“When I found out I had been selected, it meant so much more than financial assistance. It was someone saying, ‘We believe in you.’ Sometimes, that’s exactly what a person needs to hear.”
— Cheyenne, Chime Scholar Ambassador

2026 Impact Highlights

• 9 Chime Scholar Ambassadors told 3 to 4 minute personal stories live at the Chime Scholar Ambassador Storytelling Showcase at Chime HQ
• 64 personal messages of support from 22 audience members, including 12 Chime employees, with every ambassador getting messages
• 14 offers of hands-on help, including resume reviews, practice interviews, introductions to their networks and mentoring connections
• 4 virtual training sessions, January through July, all built on the Past, Pivot, Purpose storytelling framework
• A live Q&A with 4 Chime communications and social media leaders, including the VP of Communications, on brand voice, credibility and media-ready storytelling
• A July coaching session where Chime employee volunteers listened to each ambassador rehearse and gave feedback