“Impact” can feel big.

Intimidating. Even unattainable. But usually, it starts small. It starts with showing up. Last weekend, Coke Scholars and alumni showed up in Asheville, North Carolina for the 2026 Service Summit, and turned something simple into something that made a difference. Scholars came from across the country (plus London!), many bringing their families along, kids included. They teamed up with incredible partners like Coca-Cola Consolidated, the Appalachian Service Project, CASE Consultants International, and the Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance to support long-term recovery after Hurricane Helene. There were days spent rebuilding homes. Collecting data. Learning about what leadership looks like when things aren’t neat or predictable. What stuck wasn’t only the work itself. It was the in-between. Figuring things out together. Cheering someone on as they conquered a fear of power tools (safely, don’t worry). Reuniting with a friend first met on a Coke Scholars service trip nearly 20 years ago and picking right back up where you left off. Service is core to who Coke Scholars are. Still, we all get busy, and life gets in the way. It’s our privilege to help reconnect Scholars to this part of themselves, sending them home a little more grounded, refreshed, and inspired. (And possibly with a few blisters!) When a community like this comes together, you can see that impact isn’t a far-off, abstract idea. It grows out of moments like these, built through connection, effort, a shared purpose, and people choosing (again and again) to show up together. #CokeScholarsServe #CokeScholars #CCSF40