This spring marks a milestone in Kansas City education—the first cohort of 3DE by Junior Achievement students is set to graduate. Among them are Lamia and Tajohn, two seniors from Olathe East High School who have spent the last four years immersed in the 3DE model. Their journeys, marked by growth, confidence, and purpose, demonstrate how 3DE challenges students to rethink education, themselves, and their futures.
When Lamia entered high school, she described herself as “very shy and introverted.” She barely spoke up in class and often whispered to her teachers. “I would just go to school, and that’s it,” she recalls. “I wasn’t very involved.”
For Tajohn, 3DE began as an unknown. “3DE my freshman year was more of an experiment to me,” he says. “I remember getting a paper at the end of eighth grade saying I was in the program, and I didn’t really know what it meant.”
Neither student could have guessed how much 3DE would shape their high school experience over the next four years.
Lamia and Tajohn
Building Skills and Confidence
Before high school, Tajohn would freeze when asked to speak in front of others. Through 3DE’s regular presentations and culminating events, he found his voice. Whether pitching ideas to peers or presenting to professionals, Tajohn speaks with clarity and conviction. He credits this transformation as one of the most powerful outcomes of his 3DE experience.
“We’d get up on stage stuttering and shaking,” Lamia recalls. “Now, if you handed me a presentation, I could glance at it for five seconds and deliver it with confidence.”
Communication was just the beginning. Tajohn and Lamia both developed new strengths in critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity through 3DE. “Before 3DE, I didn’t like working in groups,” Tajohn admits. “I wanted to do everything my way, but I’ve learned to collaborate and trust people to do their part.”
For Lamia, 3DE unlocked a new kind of confidence—one rooted in creativity and professionalism. “3DE taught me to think outside the box, come up with creative solutions to problems, and go above and beyond,” Lamia adds.
Working alongside business partners during their case challenges also made an impact. “I enjoyed hearing from business professionals after presentations,” Lamia says. “They’d tell us what they liked and how we could improve. Even small encouragements like, ‘You’re doing a wonderful job, keep going,’ stuck with me and pushed me to do better.”
Lamia (left) and her team showcasing their student business, Harmonious Honey
Connection and Purpose
Over the course of their 3DE journey, both students went from feeling disconnected to building meaningful relationships with their peers and teachers.
“I used to be kind of a loner,” Lamia admits. “I didn’t like working with anyone, not even asking teachers for help. Now I can walk into a classroom and have a real conversation.”
“I used to think teachers were just there to get work done and leave,” Tajohn says. “But 3DE showed me they care and want to see you succeed. That made me want to build bonds and ask for help when I needed it.”
Tajohn (right) and his team showcasing their student business, Lawngevity
Ready for What’s Next
With stronger relationships and a clearer sense of self, both students are looking forward to what’s next.
Tajohn is taking his first steps toward becoming an EMT and will start classes later this year. From there, he plans to earn his bachelor’s degree and ultimately pursue a career in law enforcement.
Lamia plans to attend college where she’ll study electrical engineering and business management. “The skills we learn in 3DE aren’t just for one career path. They’re used for life,” she says. “Professionalism, communication, and critical thinking are skills you need every day. I believe the competencies I learned will help me in both areas.”
Lamia and Tajohn both say their high school experience would have been drastically different without 3DE.
“I don’t think I would have made many connections in high school or grown as a person. 3DE is what brought out the fun and energetic side of me,” says Lamia
“Before 3DE, I didn’t really see high school as important,” Tajohn says. “I wasn’t someone who wanted to see myself succeed. I wouldn’t raise my hand or ask my teachers for help. But 3DE shifted that and helped me see that school has a purpose. It gave me insight into what my future might look like and showed me how I can use the skills I learned for the rest of my life.”
When asked to describe their 3DE experience in just a few words, both Lamia and Tajohn answer without hesitation: life-changing.
As the first 3DE seniors in Kansas City prepare to walk across the graduation stage, they’re not just earning diplomas— they’re proving that when education feels relevant, it transforms lives.