Alumni Spotlight: Adam Rabin ’14
Adam Rabin ’14 has always known one thing about himself: he wanted his work to matter. “Above all else I want to help people and do something where I could have a tangible impact,” he says. This mindset has guided his choices all the way from Schechter into his professional life.
Today, Adam works as a mortgage loan originator, helping homebuyers navigate the process of securing a mortgage when purchasing a home. He builds relationships with realtors, serves as a resource for questions about lending markets, and works closely with buyers to understand their individual situations and match them with loan programs that fit their needs and long term goals. “I love the human side of the work,” Adam says, adding, “I enjoy meeting new people and appreciate that every day is different and I’m always on the move.”
After Schechter, Adam attended Glenbrook North High School and the University of Illinois, where he earned a Bachelor’s in Accountancy and was active in Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity and Illinois Business Consulting. Following graduation, the job he had secured was delayed for a year due to a weak mergers and acquisitions market. He spent that time working for a family friend who owned a luxury car leasing business. Later, he began his role at KPMG, one of the Big Four accounting firms, where he conducted financial and operational due diligence for Fortune 500 companies and private equity firms.
Over time, Adam realized that while the work was challenging and impressive, he wanted to do something different. “I decided to pivot into residential real estate as a mortgage broker,” he said, adding that although real estate had always interested him he wouldn’t have thought this is where he would be five years ago.
Outside of work, Adam’s two biggest passions are food and music. “I love to cook, try new restaurants around the city, and catch live shows when my favorite artists are in town,” he says. He also prioritizes staying active and reading, describing himself as “always seeking to broaden my perspectives and be a perpetual student.”
When reflecting on what he’s most proud of, Adam doesn’t point to a single title or milestone. Instead, he focuses on the journey. “I’m most proud of continuously trusting myself and discovering my own path. Also, the willingness to take risks and follow my heart when I could have taken an easier route.”
Looking back on his Schechter experience, Adam credits Schechter with shaping his approach to learning and curiosity. “Schechter did a great job of instilling an intellectual curiosity within me,” he says. Beyond the traditional curriculum, Adam remembers how “the peers and faculty along with experiential learning experiences create an environment that drives curiosity and love of learning.”
The eighth grade Israel trip is one experience that stands out in his mind. “This was an experience completely unique to Schechter,” Adam says. “They are memories I will carry throughout my life.”
As Adam has gotten older, he says that he has come to appreciate the importance of community and the built in network that he has from his Schechter days. Though it’s been a long time since he’s been back at Schechter, Adam remains in touch with friends in the Chicagoland area and offers a collective shout out to Schechter’s science teachers, noting that his love of science through high school started at Schechter.
Today, the Schechter community holds even deeper meaning for Adam. “In the current political climate it is super valuable to have a community of proud Jewish Americans,” says, “and to know that there are always people that are feeling a similar way to you and have resources for outreach if needed.”
And if he could offer advice to his younger self? Adam says, “Have fun, don’t go to sleep so late, buy bitcoin, listen to your parents.”
