When Michael Paranal MBT ’06 returned to teach at USC Marshall as assistant professor of clinical accounting in 2020, he brought with him some particular ideas about how to help students make the transition from the classroom into the boardrooms. ⁠ ⁠ Striving to help students learn which careers in business, finance, and accounting would be the best fit for them, Michael created Guiding Exceptional Minds (GEM), a selective business leadership program that invites students to visit multi-national firms in the Los Angeles area. During onsite visits, students meet with professionals—from new associates all the way up to the C-suite, who give them perspectives on the variety of work they do. ⁠ ⁠ “I created GEMS because I think a lot of learning obviously happens in class, but a lot of it also happens outside the classroom,” he said. “The goal is to help propel our students toward meaningful and impactful future careers.”⁠ ⁠ Click the 🔗⁠ in our bio to learn more about the program and how you can get involved.