From Classroom to Boardroom: The Impact of 3DE’s Senior Consultancy

For the past four years, Elizabeth Black, owner of Grant Park Accounting, has received guidance from Senior Consultancy students at 3DE. As a client, she witnesses something special: a group of high school seniors stepping into the role of business consultants, developing real-world solutions, and leaving a lasting impact on her company. 

“The students have done an amazing job this year. It is hard to believe, but it is true—it really does get better each year,” Black shared. “I believe the students have really learned not only how the needs of a small business can be unique, but also that accounting can be an awesome and viable career.” 

Senior Consultancy serves as the capstone experience for 3DE students, allowing them to apply the skills and behaviors they have developed in 3DE to real business scenarios. Acting as consultants, students work in teams to develop solutions tailored to the specific needs of local businesses. For Grant Park Accounting, this meant tackling key growth challenges and identifying actionable steps to help the firm expand. 

Supporting the Business & Developing Essential Skills 

Elizabeth presented students with a fundamental question: How can her small business grow effectively while maintaining its core values and mission? "We explained the business, how we want to grow, and what some of those challenges of growth would be. The students then decided on four key areas we should focus on," she explained. 

Throughout the process, the students impressed Elizabeth and her team with their ability to identify priorities, stay focused, and generate valuable insights. Elizabeth described the client sessions as "business therapy," where students created an open think tank to discuss challenges and offer fresh perspectives. "The meetings with our consultants are a positive and open thought space that spark further conversations internally as well.”  

One of the most rewarding aspects of the experience for Elizabeth was witnessing students develop cultural agility and professionalism. "They take it really seriously. For our meetings, they dress up, speak professionally, and always shake our hands. They understand that they need to communicate differently with their peers than they do with clients." 

Inspiring the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs 

Elizabeth hopes that through the consultancy experience, students gained a realistic understanding of entrepreneurship and small business operations. "Hopefully, they understand that small business is not always perfectly structured—it's not black and white. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you must wear a lot of hats. Even if your skill set is accounting, as an entrepreneur you still have to understand HR, marketing, and IT," she explained. "Having a collaboration like this—someone to talk through challenges and generate creative solutions—is how you move forward." 

Reflecting on her experience as a 3DE Senior Consultancy Client, Elizabeth is both encouraged and energized by what she has seen in this next generation of leaders. "Seeing what they are able to come up with—the insight and solutions they generate—it’s inspiring. They draw from their past three years in 3DE and apply that knowledge in ways that are incredibly practical and insightful." 

For Elizabeth, the Senior Consultancy isn’t just about mentoring students—it’s about learning from them as well. "I love the Senior Consultancy experience. It is truly helpful to the business owner. These kids are not just sitting there—they are engaged, and they have real ideas. They know what’s going on." 

Through partnerships like this, 3DE continues to bridge the gap between education and the workforce, preparing students to enter the world with the confidence, skills, and experience needed to succeed.