The ISMP Ambassadors cover — the ISMP globe-and-face mark in yellow, centred on a gradient running from warm orange through purple to blue, ringed by circular photos of the Cambodia cohort.

Inaugural Student Ambassadors

Timeline: Spring 2026
Role: Design Lead
Client: International Student Mentorship Program, Phnom Penh
Tools: Figma

The Brief

Mentors have a one-year turnover

International Student Mentorship Program, or ISMP, is a global registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, designed to support students all around the world by connecting them with mentors. Since 2024, ISMP has been sending mentors on one-year terms to countries across Asia.

As our 2025 Cambodia team’s time wound down, we wanted to leave the students something that outlasted us — a platform of their own — and give the incoming 2026 mentors a warm place to land.

As design lead, I built the ISMP Ambassadors brand identity end to end — the logo mark, the merch, and the stickers — and printed and cut a lot of it by hand for the launch. The inaugural ambassador cohort launched with gear they were genuinely excited to wear and hand out — a logo turned into something students could feel part of.

Curious about ISMP? Check out their website to learn more!

Context

2025–2026

The ISMP 2025 Cambodia team — that’s my team! — built real trust with the students we mentored in Phnom Penh over the course of six months together, and our time was nearing its finish line.

We cared deeply about the students’ growth trajectory, and just as much about how the incoming mentors — our friends arriving in Cambodia to mentor university students — would land in a completely new environment. A student ambassador program could carry both: give students ownership of the community, and give the next mentor team a running start.

Understanding people and scope

If there’s one thing I learned during my time in Cambodia, it’s that Khmer people know how to honor their guests. As our mentorship program evolved with the culture around it, we wanted to honor our guests too — the students themselves, especially the ones who kept showing up and pouring into the community.

Cambodian students can be shy at first, but they open up quickly once trust is built and they’re given a real platform to share. Out of that understanding of Khmer culture came the idea for a student ambassador program, where students have a voice of their own alongside the mentors.

The Solution

A brand only matters if people can carry it.

My job was to translate the ISMP identity into something students could wear, hand out, and feel part of.

The mark

pairs a globe with a friendly face under the tagline. This badge is meant to feel as welcoming as the program itself.

The stickers

were designed, printed, and cut for orientation, including an “Ask me about ISMP” sticker (with a capybara, because of course).

The merch

gave the ambassadors a way to represent ISMP: shirts that distinguish students who loved the program and got them excited to be a part of it.

The Outcome

Launch

ISMP’s first-ever Ambassador cohort launched in Phnom Penh on June 1, 2026 — a four-month cohort giving student leaders a platform to grow, gain hands-on experience, and shape the ISMP community on their campuses.

The identity showed up where it counted: on the students, at the events, in the room. Ambassadors wore the shirts and handed out the stickers at orientation, and carried the brand through to the ISMP farewell.

Students holding up Student Ambassador t-shirts, making heart shapes with their hands.

An ambassador grinning and pointing at his ISMP Ambassador jacket, still sealed in its packaging, while the rest of the cohort opens theirs.

Ambassadors seated around a boardroom table at the ISMP Ambassador orientation.

Ambassadors taping printed photos to a purple wall display, building a month-by-month timeline of the year.

ISMP stickers mid-cut on a table — Ambassador badges and Ask me about ISMP capybara stickers beside scissors and a paper trimmer.

A mentor coaching a student through a five-minute conversation practice, with the prompt slide on the screen behind them.

Ambassadors in ISMP shirts smiling and applauding.

The ISMP Cambodia team and ambassadors laughing together behind a table of cakes and fruit at the farewell.

Ambassadors speaking on a student panel to an audience.

Special thanks to my team

My vision wouldn’t have been possible without the backing of a supportive team. Jeanine: for being the best bud and letting me bounce ideas off of 24/7. Audrey: for leading the ISMP Cambodia with care. Penny, Reba, and Alyssa: for fanning into flame this idea.

Wanna see more?

I know you secretly want to see stacked mood boards and hundreds of font combos. I’m happy to chat more about my process over a call. Reach out to me at jasminevc99@gmail.com!