A product of the Lynn School system and a graduate of Lynn English High School, Joel Abramson is now giving back to the community that helped make him into who he is today.
During his professional career, Abramson owned three family businesses, a travel company, a marketing and sales company, and restaurants on Cape Cod — five years ago, he sold all of them and retired.
For nearly 30 years, Abramson and his wife have dedicated their time to supporting academic institutions and charitable organizations.
“We found out when we were younger that giving back doesn’t mean you necessarily have to have money,” Abramson said about himself and his wife. “It can be time spent helping to educate people, mentor kids, resolve problems, and bring people together.”
In recognition of his charitable actions, Abramson has been chosen as Essex Media Group’s “Person of the Year” for Lynn.
A majority of Abramson’s time and effort is spent improving the Lynn School District by targeting mental health, hygiene, and other challenges at the forefront of the district. To him, this is his greatest achievement.
“It’s the largest collaborative effort of its kind in the state, and it covers all sectors of the community,” Abramson shared. “And that’s what makes it so different and so powerful.”
Abramson is extremely proud of his work done to assist in mental health challenges. It began at Saint Mary’s High School before branching out to other schools in the district.
The mental health program allows someone to get an appointment with a mental health provider within 48 hours, as opposed to six to eight weeks. The mental health initiative will involve a social worker and two students who have previously faced mental health challenges to assist their peers.
“It’s peer models—people who have experienced it talking to their peers about what they should be looking for in their friends in terms of changes in personality and how the student can help their friends address those issues,” Abramson explained.
In 2025, the “Health Hub” will be introduced to Lynn Public Schools where personal care and hygiene items will be distributed to students throughout the city, free of charge.
Expressing the program’s importance, he said, “That’s a big deal because not having personal hygiene items and personal care items can destroy somebody’s self-confidence.”
On top of addressing health challenges for the city of Lynn, Abramson also participates each year in sending the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee to Washington D.C. He looks forward to this event every year, as he gets the opportunity to see these children excel and bond with the other students at the tournament.
“You see 25 very nervous kids at 5 o’clock, and at the end of the night they’re all happy for each other. It’s great seeing that bonding effort and the support that they provide each other,” Abramson said. “That’s what makes it worth it.”
While these are all accomplishments Abramson is beyond proud of, he selflessly recognizes his team, who helped him every step of the way.
“I could never have done this without the team we have at the education district,” Abramson said. “This should be an award that encompasses everybody that helped me throughout the years.”
Abramson will continue to dedicate his time and efforts to the city of Lynn, making the community he deeply cherishes a better place every day.
