D.A. Conley Encourages Civil Service at West Roxbury Academy Graduation

Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley encouraged graduating seniors from West Roxbury Academy to pursue civil service jobs during his commencement speech at Northeastern University’s Matthews Arena on Monday.

In front of 1,500 audience members, Conley urged seniors to “consider the nobility of service – service to your city, your nation, and your fellow men and women,” according to a press release.

“You are going off into a world where a great deal of work needs to be done,” said Conley. “In the next few years, as you develop your interests and hone your skills, you’ll be in a position to take some of that work on as your own. It may be in politics. It may be in law. It may be in medicine or technology or media or the arts. But in each and every one of these fields, and in every field you can contemplate, there is room to help.”

Conley spoke of the heroism of the first responders at the scene of the Boston Marathon bombings, and the urgent care provided by doctors, nurses, and clinical staff at Boston’s hospitals. The West Roxbury resident spoke of the ongoing work of physical therapists, trauma counselors, to help victims overcome life-altering injuries including double amputations. Conley reminded the graduates that people from all walks of life have found ways to help one another in a time of crisis.

“We can do small things in a great way, or we can do great things in a small way,” said Conley. “But no matter what we do or how we do it, the ability to help lies in each and every one of us. By nurturing that ability, embracing it, and acting on it, we don’t just benefit the people around us – we benefit ourselves and our communities as well.”

Conley was invited to address its graduates by West Roxbury Academy Headmaster Rudolph Weekes.