CHESSTER’s Big Adventure Brings Miles of Smiles

CHESSTER’s Big Adventure:
Bringing Our Workday Student Journey to Life

In January 2026, CHESSTER—the beloved CHESS mascot—set off on a Big Adventure, traveling across our member colleges during our recent Customer Confirmation Sessions (CCS) and End-to-End (E2E) Testing meetings. While the agendas were full of detailed discussions, testing scenarios, and critical decision-making, CHESSTER’s presence added something equally important: energy, connection, and a shared sense of purpose. From campus to campus, CHESSTER became a familiar face in rooms filled with focused teams working hard to shape the future of Workday Student.

What made this small gesture so meaningful was how it humanized the work. CCS and E2E Testing can be intense—packed with system walkthroughs, data validation, and process alignment—but CHESSTER reminded us that this work is about people. Seeing the mascot pop up in meetings sparked smiles, laughter, and conversation, helping teams relax, engage, and connect across member colleges. It created a shared experience that cut through titles, roles, and institutions.

In the end, CHESSTER’s journey symbolized exactly what CHESS is about: collaboration, unity, and forward momentum. By bringing a bit of fun into serious work, CHESSTER helped turn meetings into moments—and reminded us that we’re all on this adventure together.