THE BEST WAY TO LEARN IS BY DOING

We absolutely see our organization using and building upon the team’s recommendations. One of the early recommendations that emerged from our conversations was whole cost reporting, which was an aspect of financial governance we were already aware of and beginning to implement. It was incredibly reassuring to have outside voices validate that this was the right direction for us to pursue.

I also appreciated their financial projections and anticipate spending considerable time exploring the spreadsheets they developed to better understand how they arrived at their conclusions and what adjustments may need to be made as we continue moving forward with our expansion plans.

Their analysis of our potential gray water system was especially impactful. This is a project currently on our development list for 2027, and having even a rudimentary understanding of what we may need to charge for that service in order to break even is tremendously valuable. It helps us communicate more clearly with our kitchen users and food trucks while also encouraging us to explore additional ways to reduce pumping expenses.

Finally, Andrew, Julia, and Lizzie reinforced something we intuitively knew already: the importance of efficiency in how we utilize our space- not just maximizing capacity, but maximizing efficiency within that capacity. Our organization operates a large kitchen with many moving parts, programs, and priorities. Balancing what is profitable with what is mission-driven is an ongoing process that requires constant reflection and intentionality. Their model gives us another tool to continue thinking critically about which services are mission-forward and which support our long-term financial sustainability.

What impressed me most was the depth and breadth of their communication and research. They were consistently thorough, thoughtful, collaborative, and responsive throughout the process. I was especially impressed by how well they communicated and continued engaging with us every step of the way.

I would strongly recommend similar capstone projects to other organizations. For us, the experience encouraged a deeper examination of our own data, systems, and internal processes. Having to explain our accounting structures and operational systems to outside partners actually strengthened both our internal and external communication.

The project also brought an incredibly valuable outside perspective to our work. There is something powerful about having others examine what you do, reframe it, ask questions, and introduce creative new ideas. It is especially meaningful to have younger generations engage with the work we are doing and offer insight into how our programs and systems impact people of all ages.

Ultimately, I believe working with students is a learning opportunity for everyone involved. It is so important for organizations to continue learning, growing, and never becoming complacent in the process of improvement.

Working on this project allowed my group members and me to apply what we’ve learned this semester. Building relationships with our stakeholder and understanding their goals was extremely valuable to the success of the project. The most rewarding part was seeing how our ideas and work could help create something beyond the classroom.

The most valuable technical skill I developed through this project was learning how to move fluidly between financial data and the Carver team’s requests, turning weeks of analysis into real-world context. I appreciated that challenge because it strengthened my ability to connect raw data with practical problem-solving.

The moment that stood out most was the feedback we received during our second stakeholder meeting. Their praise meant a great deal to my team and me, but more than that, it reinforced the importance of the work we were doing and reminded us of its real purpose.

Working closely with industry professionals and stakeholders brought a unique level of responsibility to this project that I felt throughout the process. It pushed my team and me to hold ourselves to a higher standard, knowing our work had implications beyond the classroom.

My favorite part of the project was when our models finally came together. After weeks of research, conversations, and working through technical details, seeing everything come together at the core of our capstone was incredibly rewarding. It was one of those moments where I could step back and appreciate how far the work had come.

The most valuable technical skill I learned through this project was creating business models in Excel. Before this project, I had only used Excel for calculator-like sheets in a statistics class, so applying it in a real-world context was challenging yet rewarding.

During Zoom meetings with our partners, I realized the project was truly transforming a real-world organization. Gretchen and Lenah genuinely appreciated our efforts and were also learning to interpret financial models.

Working directly with industry stakeholders revealed the complexities of navigating a small nonprofit organization. Gretchen and Lenah’s passion and long hours supporting Carver shaped my perspective on the advantages and disadvantages of working with a smaller team in a future career.

My favorite part of the capstone experience was being welcomed into the world of agricultural economics. I took this class for a minor and realized how small the Ag. Econ community is, with many classmates already familiar with each other and the professor. Even as the “new” student, I felt welcomed by peers and staff and am glad to be part of a new community.

Working with the Virginia Verified Beef organization has been a great experiences for me. The project allowed me to explore the importance of value-added labeling for locally produced beef in Virginia while also giving me hands-on experience with business and financial analysis.

I spent a significant amount of time working in Excel to build and analyze financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and debt schedules. This process greatly strengthened my Excel skills and showed me how important these tools are for businesses. My conversations with our stakeholders helped me gain insight into the agricultural and beef processing industries and helped me improve my communication, teamwork, and professional networking skills. Overall, the capstone project played a major role in my professional development that I know will benefit me in my future career path. 

The most valuable skill I developed through this project was the ability to build and adapt financial models in a real-world context where information was often incomplete or evolving. Unlike traditional Excel assignments with clear instructions, this project required my team and me to make assumptions, justify decisions, and adapt our models based on stakeholder feedback and operational goals. This strengthened my Excel, financial analysis, and problem-solving skills.

I also learned how to work with individuals from different academic backgrounds. Working with Julia and Lizzie was initially unfamiliar because our skillsets and approaches differed, but each of us contributed unique perspectives and strengths that improved the quality of our project and demonstrated the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration.

This project applied concepts from many classes I have taken at Virginia Tech, especially within my Agribusiness major. Courses such as AAEC 3454: Small Business Management, AAEC 4424: Agricultural Financial Management, and AAEC 3424: Value-Based Management in Agribusiness strengthened my understanding of business operations, Excel, and financial modeling. I even incorporated templates and approaches from AAEC 4424 into our project, and I realized I was applying classroom knowledge when Lenah and Gretchen approved of our models and methodology.

One moment that stood out was when our team developed multi-year financial projections tied directly to Carver’s planned expansion and future operations. At that point, it no longer felt like we were creating models just for a grade because our work had the potential to influence how a real organization evaluates growth opportunities and long-term financial sustainability.

Working directly with Lenah and Gretchen demonstrated the importance of communication, adaptability, and collaboration in professional environments. Throughout the semester, project priorities shifted in response to changes in Carver’s operations and goals, requiring our team to remain flexible and responsible by setting and meeting our own deadlines.

I also enjoyed working with Carver because they operate as a mission-driven organization at the local level. This experience gave me insight into analyzing local business models while reinforcing the importance of community relationships between organizations and the people they serve.

My favorite part of the project was seeing Lenah and Gretchen respond positively to our work and recommendations. Their feedback showed that our work had value beyond a class assignment and could support Carver’s future planning and decision-making.

One of the most valuable skills developed through the capstone project was building and refining a financial feasibility model using real-world factors such as capital expenditures, operating costs, revenue projections, and risk analysis. The experience also strengthened the ability to adapt analyses based on stakeholder feedback and communicate complex financial concepts in a practical and understandable way. A key moment of applying classroom knowledge in a professional setting came when concepts such as NPV, IRR, WACC, and sensitivity analysis were used to evaluate the project’s feasibility. Applying these concepts with real stakeholders highlighted how small changes in assumptions, like milk costs or cheese prices, can significantly affect long-term business viability.

Working directly with industry stakeholders also reinforced an interest in applied agricultural economics and agribusiness strategy by demonstrating how economic analysis and financial modeling can support real business decisions. The experience emphasized the importance of collaboration when evaluating investments and operational risks. The most enjoyable part of the capstone experience was working on a project with real-world relevance beyond the classroom. It was rewarding to develop a broad concept into a complete financial and operational analysis while collaborating with teammates and industry partners, and presenting findings and recommendations to stakeholders made the project feel meaningful and professionally impactful.

The most valuable professional skill I developed through working with an industry partner was learning how to consolidate large amounts of complex information into a clear and understandable presentation format. Throughout the project, our team conducted extensive research and created many financial frameworks, analyses, and projections, and it was crucial for us to transform that information into an effective business plan that clearly communicated our strategic recommendations and final deliverables.

Creating and presenting this work directly to business owners was an extremely valuable learning experience. There were many moments throughout the project when I realized I was applying classroom knowledge in a real-world professional setting, especially while creating financial projections in Excel. Concepts and skills from my accounting, finance, and value-based management courses were directly applied in developing growth projections, hypothetical expansion analyses using discounted cash flow (DCF), net present value (NPV), and internal rate of return (IRR), as well as sensitivity analyses. It was rewarding to see how applicable these classroom lessons were in solving real business challenges.

Working directly with industry stakeholders shaped my perspective on my future career interests by increasing my interest in people-facing and collaborative roles. I especially enjoyed working as part of a team and closely with business owners, understanding their goals, and helping provide recommendations from an outside perspective. This experience strengthened my interest in consulting and other roles focused on collaboration and strategic problem-solving. The part of the capstone experience I enjoyed most was how closely it reflected a real-world professional environment. Having the opportunity to work with an actual business, analyze real financial data, and apply classroom knowledge in a meaningful way was incredibly valuable. It was a major learning experience to collaborate with business owners and turn our analyses into actionable deliverables that could potentially help guide future business decisions. Knowing our work could have a real impact made the experience especially rewarding.

One of the most valuable skills developed through this capstone project was conducting in-depth financial and industry analysis for a real-world company. Working with AgXes provided the opportunity to move beyond classroom examples and analyze actual market conditions, customer needs, and financial considerations within the agricultural lending industry, while also strengthening the ability to communicate professional recommendations clearly and tailor analysis to support business decision-making. A particularly meaningful aspect of the experience was applying classroom concepts related to agricultural production, seasonality, and risk management to evaluate lending workflows and farmer financial data in a professional setting.

Collaborating directly with team members, AgXes partners, farmers, and lenders also highlighted the importance of communication and collaboration when balancing different perspectives and aligning project goals among stakeholders with varying priorities and experiences. Overall, the most enjoyable part of the capstone experience was completing impactful work for a real-world company and seeing classroom knowledge translate into practical recommendations and deliverables that could genuinely support business decisions.

This project helped me develop professional writing, industry research, business presentation, and especially communication skills through collaboration with team members, stakeholders, and industry outreach. I also gained practical experience with financial modeling and analysis in Excel by applying concepts from accounting and agribusiness courses to a real-world project. While I originally pursued this opportunity to explore private-sector financing and lending through Agxes, the experience ultimately reaffirmed my interest in public policy and advocacy work. I also enjoyed collaborating with teammates from diverse backgrounds, learning about agricultural lending and LLMs from stakeholders, and interacting directly with Virginia producers through farmer outreach efforts.