Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business students come to learn, explore, and build community. As they move forward in their careers, they take everything they've learned and use it to power innovation in industries and businesses across the globe. In celebration of Spring 2024 Commencement, we sat down with a few students to learn about their experiences and the wisdom they've gained in the process.
Meet MK Schmersal who is graduating with a concentration in Accounting and a certificate in Finance.
Where are you from?
Atlanta
Where did you go to high school?
The Lovett School
Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college?
My family. Both of my parents came from business school backgrounds as well as my older brother.
Why did you choose Scheller College of Business?
I chose Scheller because of all the opportunities offered. I enjoyed Scheller’s strong relationships with Atlanta-based companies, the study abroad opportunities, and the sense of a Scheller community.
What concentration did you pursue and why?
I chose a concentration in Accounting with a certificate in Finance. Everyone in my family studied finance and went into the finance field, so I wanted to do something different. I loved my first accounting class with Professor Rupar-Wang and decided to go that route. However, I added a finance certificate because I became more interested in banking as a career path rather than public accounting. Ironically, I am going into investment banking, so I did not end up being much different from my family.
What is your best piece of advice to an applicant hoping to get into Scheller College?
Keep your mind open and always try to take people up on opportunities they offer you. You never know what you could learn or who you could meet.
As a business student in the heart of Tech Square, how do you think Scheller College embodies the intersection of business and technology?
I think the professors do a great job of including current business and technology news in their courses. This is helpful because it allows students to draw connections between the classroom and current events.
Who was your favorite professor and why?
This is one of the best parts of Scheller because I cannot pick one. I have really enjoyed my accounting classes with Professor Blunck. He always tries to spice up accounting with some humor. I learned a lot about consolidation, which was helpful during my internship. I also enjoyed Financial Reporting and Analysis II course with Professor Thayer where we learned how to account for bonds, options, and much more. My time with Professor Davis-Nozemack in her Business Tax class as well as Legal Aspects of Business classes were wonderful. She made tax as fun as it can be.
Apart from accounting classes, Leading in the Digital Age with Dr. Alavi is a fantastic special topics course. That class opened my eyes to all things AI, cloud, and technological transformation. Lastly, my Corporate Restructuring class with Dr. Singh has been great in preparing me for my full-time position. As you can tell, I have enjoyed my professors here at Scheller!
What activities were you involved with on or off campus, and did your business education impact those activities in any way?
On campus I was involved in the Georgia Tech Swim Club as secretary and then treasurer. I was also involved in greek life and was the finance director of my chapter. Two of these three roles were heavily finance-related, and my Scheller education helped with those. I was also a Team Leader for the GT1000 Scheller class for two years. I loved this opportunity, especially working with the freshman to make sure they had a smooth transition into Scheller.
Where did you intern/co-op during school?
I interned at Bennett Thrasher as an audit intern the summer after my sophomore year. I had a busy season interning at PwC on their TMT Audit team during the spring semester of my junior year. Lastly, this past summer, I interned at J.P. Morgan in their Technology Investment Banking coverage group in San Francisco.
Where will you be working after graduation?
I will be returning to J.P. Morgan in the Technology Investment Banking coverage group in San Francisco.
Did you end up working or interning for one of your top choice companies?
I was fortunate enough to intern with all my top companies. Mr. Dutcher, the director of Undergraduate Career Services really helped during all interview processes.
Did you participate in any hands-on/experiential learning opportunities? If yes, which projects/companies did you work with, and how did you help them?
Other than my internships, I also studied abroad at Georgia Tech-Lorraine (now Georgia Tech-Europe).
Who would you like to thank most for your success?
My parents for always being there for advice and helping me get through college.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I have never done Wordle.
What are some of your hobbies?
I love being outside, so swimming, running, or skiing are my favorites. My parents moved to the beach recently, so whenever I go home, I always spend my free time with my dogs and my mom on the beach.
What are the top two items on your bucket list?
I would love to see the northern lights in the Norwegian fjords and ski in Japan.