The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) recognizes high-achieving college students across the country. Earning the honor is one thing. Turning it into lasting value is another. NSCS brought in CoLabL to help members and prospective members define success on their own terms, go after their goals with confidence and connections, and see what NSCS membership can do for them at every stage.

So we built the Scholar Success Series, a student success workshop series of live, interactive Zoom sessions running from February through September 2026. Each one-hour session took on a real challenge students face: building better habits, networking with purpose, telling your story in interviews, budgeting and credit, graduating debt free, setting boundaries, managing up at work, and finding your voice. Dan Horgan led sessions alongside guest experts, including financial educator Chris Corinthian, wellness coach Elena Douvanis, and a panel of first-gen professionals from Meta, IBM, Boston University, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. CoLabL handled everything from session design and branded promo assets to registration, facilitation, recordings, follow-up resources, and monthly reporting.

“What I found most valuable was the sense of connection and reflection it created. The encouragement I received from people who don’t even know me personally was so meaningful. I will be back for sure!”
— Scholar Success Series Participant, Building Better Habits Session

The line that kept showing up in the feedback? I’m not alone. Students came for the tools and stayed for the people. A core group came back session after session, and participants who had never met cheered each other on in the chat. That’s the NSCS mission in action, and it’s proof of what we believe at CoLabL: relationships drive change.

“The most valuable part of this experience was learning how to use the S.A.I.L. method to clearly communicate my experiences in a meaningful and structured way. It helped me see how I can take both professional and personal situations and turn them into strong, impactful stories.”
— Scholar Success Series Participant, Storytelling Session

2026 Impact Highlights

• 11 live sessions from February to September, covering career readiness, financial literacy, mental health, and the NSCS member experience
• 4.8 out of 5 average rating across 166 survey responses, with 96% rating their experience a 4 or 5
• 98% would recommend the programming, and every respondent said they’d join another session
• Practical frameworks students can use right away, including S.A.I.L. and BRIDGE for storytelling, a personal brand statement template, scholarship and loan forgiveness resources, and calendar color-mapping to spot burnout early
• 77% opted in to hear about future opportunities, building a warm pipeline of engaged students for NSCS