Member Adam Borson Proves Your Greatest Weakness = Your Greatest Strength

Adam didn’t speak until age five or six. Now, he does stand up comedy, works in health care, and volunteers with kids with special needs. His secret to success? Using the past to build his future.

Name: Adam Borson

Locale: San Diego, CA

Age: 33

Alma Mater: University of Michigan

By Day: Sr. Financial and Operations Analyst

SoFi Member Since: 2014

Loan Amount: 97K

SoFi $avings: Approx. $20K

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m originally from Detroit, but now live in San Diego, which is pretty great. I love that it’s sunny all the time and being so close to the ocean. I’m really able to enjoy life.

Were there stops between Detroit and San Diego?

I did my undergrad at University of Michigan, and then joined a small real estate company. Things were going great, until the ‘08 market crash. At 27, I found myself dead broke, moving back home, and wondering what I was doing with my life. It was at my lowest point that I found inspiration from my past.

How did your past inspire you?

As a child, I had a speech condition called Aphasia. I didn’t speak until age five or six. Even though my parents didn’t have a lot of money, they made sure I got the best healthcare for my condition. I decided to apply my experience overcoming Aphasia and transition into healthcare, where I could positively impact people’s lives. Working in healthcare was very important to me, given the tremendous care I received as a child.

What area of healthcare do you work in?

After the market crash, I earned an MBA in Life Sciences from the Indiana University-Kelley School of Business. I’m now a senior analyst for Quidel, which is a medical device company. We specialize in diagnostics and test for a wide array of conditions and infectious diseases, from influenza to strep to pregnancy.  

Can you describe what life was like upon earning your MBA?

Well, although I started down the right path, it came at a steep cost. At 30, I had over $100K in student loans and no savings. After overcoming my speech disability as a kid, I felt like this was my new fight as an adult. It was at this time, I came across SoFi, who struck me as offering something very unique by focusing on not only past financial responsibility, but also future potential. With SoFi, my interest rate was cut in half—and I’ll save over $20,000.

What are the next goals you want to accomplish, both professionally and personally?

I’ve always believed in turning your greatest weakness into your greatest strength. So I’ve been doing stand up comedy and improv, and would like to do more public speaking. All things I could never dream of doing, if it wasn’t for overcoming my own disability. Public speaking is a lot of people’s biggest fear. For me, I find strength from using speech to influence people and making them laugh.

How else are you giving back?

Seeing how I was given a second chance, I love helping people and volunteer with kids with special needs. Now that refinancing has given me some financial breathing room, I’d also like to begin working toward my dream of starting a nonprofit to provide people with affordable housing. In Detroit, I saw how families struggle to put a roof over their heads. I’d like to offer deserving families a better life, and bring everything full circle in mine.

Any advice for the SoFi community?

Make sure you have a solid foundation to work towards your goals. As you cross achievements off your to-do list, don’t forget to remind yourself how far you’ve come. It can be a small reward like a cup of coffee. Or something big—like getting up on stage to make strangers laugh.