Alumni Profile: Charlie Abrams ‘88

The emphasis Abrams places on relationships continues beyond the workplace as well. As an alumnus of Rivers, Abrams has maintained his connection to the school through extensive involvement in the Alumni Council. He has served many roles on the Council in the past five years, most recently chairing the Alumni Annual Giving Committee and serving on the Executive Committee. It’s no wonder that Abrams feels such a strong connection to the school because he believes that, “Rivers was an environment that helped to lay the groundwork for all the relationships in my life.” Abrams cites teachers such as Rick Rizoli and Jack Jarzavek who taught him along the way. “Jack Jarzavek- even more than the English classes I took with him- the nurturing aspect and the relationship he developed with his students made a big difference with me.”

Relationships were not the only valuable lesson Abrams learned at Rivers, though. Important skills such as the ability to communicate and analyze information gave him an edge while in college and in the workplace. Abrams recalls his first job at GE Capital, where, “I was in a training class of 30 people that were extremely bright and had much more knowledge and ability to analyze numbers than I was, but they couldn’t communicate back to management what they had learned. For me, having the ability to do that really set my early stage career opportunities, and that all goes back to my experience at Rivers.”

Beyond his professional career, Abrams also believes that Rivers plays an important role in his own family. Abrams, who lives in Weston with his wife Allison and three children, emphasizes, “From early on my parents were actively involved, and my sister Leslie was one of the first girls to graduate from Rivers. This family atmosphere at Rivers exemplified the values and virtues my parents instilled in me and which I now try to instill in my own kids.”