When representatives from the university’s career services came to Larry Guerin’s class to present him with the Outstanding Career Influencer Award, it came as a major surprise to the retired FBI supervisory special agent.
He learned that he had been nominated every semester since he began teaching at George Mason University in 2017—and that he was now being formally recognized for his dedication to helping students secure the jobs they aspire to. In addition to teaching accounting at the Costello College of Business, he teaches for the Division of Criminology, Law, and Society at George Mason.
After reaching the FBI’s mandatory retirement age, Guerin was faced with a choice of what he wanted the next chapter of his career to look like. While many retired agents transition to security roles for banks or corporations, that line of work didn’t appeal to him. In the FBI, he had the opportunity to teach in various settings. Realizing that it was something that he wanted to pursue more fully, he spoke with another retired agent who had started teaching at George Mason University.
During his 28 years of service with the FBI, Guerin earned certifications as both a firearms instructor and a defensive tactics instructor. His training sessions were so well received that when criminal activity increased in his office neighborhood, he was asked to create a women’s self‑defense course for his coworkers. Within the FBI, he also taught the orientation program for new employees. “I really love giving back and seeing the light bulb go on in their heads as they understand the material, think of things maybe in a different way,” he says. “That to me was very rewarding.”
“We’re bringing real life cases to them, real life experiences, and they value the problem."
— Larry Guerin, accounting adjunct faculty at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University
Now, Guerin enjoys watching those lightbulb moments spark for his accounting students at Costello. “It’s just a pleasure to be able to help them on their way up to taking control of the world,” he says. Impressed by their drive and sharpness, he’s often amazed by how easily he relates to them. “They understand and get me,” he says. “I start every class with a stupid dad joke, and I also do fun socks. I like to be interactive with them.”
Immersive training has been a defining feature of the courses that Guerin teaches. “We’re bringing real life cases to them, real life experiences, and they value the problem,” he says. After students dive into their case studies, they brief the class on their findings. Guerin injects himself to provide further insights and bring the assignments to life.
Drawing on decades of experience as an FBI supervisory special agent, Guerin creates an interactive classroom environment focused on giving students the tools and confidence to pursue their chosen career paths. Students leave his classroom excited to translate lessons learned to success in their dream jobs.