A Purpose Lab Success Celebration and the Christmas Carol: How I Met My Past, Present, and an AI From the Future

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If Charles Dickens were rewriting A Christmas Carol for students today, Scrooge wouldn’t be counting coins; he’d be avoiding reflective blogs, CV feedback, and the dreaded question: “So… what’s next for you?” 

That Scrooge was me, until the Purpose Lab Success Celebration. 

Before Purpose Lab, writing about myself felt harder than debugging code. I questioned whether my story mattered, how I fitted into tech spaces, and whether I really belonged in conversations about careers, purpose, and the future of work. Blank pages felt like judgement. 

The celebration day became my Ghost of Christmas Present. 

Being in a room with Purpose Lab ambassadors past and present, and organisations genuinely listening to student voices, made something shift. Purpose Lab didn’t just celebrate success; it created belonging. I could finally see how my Computer Science background connected to ethical AI, digital health, and purpose-driven careers. 

Then came the future. 

I asked myself: what would have helped me at the start? 
That question became my Christmas gift to Purpose Lab and its ambassadors, Purpose Lab’s very own custom-trained GPT Companion. 

This isn’t a generic chatbot. It’s a Purpose Lab–trained AI companion, built by a student, for students, to help with CV audits, vacancy links, reflective blogs, career confidence, and ethical use of AI, all grounded in Purpose Lab values. Not a shortcut, but a guide to help students get unstuck and move forward with clarity. 

As I often say: 

“I didn’t build the Purpose Lab AI Companion to give students answers. 
I built it with future-ready AI design principles, inspired by how students will learn in 2030, so they feel brave enough to ask any question through their very own Purpose Lab GPT Companion.”   

🎥 Explore the journey: 

Merry Purpose Lab Christmas, and a Future-Ready New Year to you all, may your reflections be honest, your CVs confident, and your work always guided by purpose.

This is a guest blog by Manel Bouchekoua, Purpose Lab ambassador at Teesside University

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