Chris Murphy, School Committee Candidate
My name is Chris Murphy and I am running for the Medford School Committee. I have been a resident of 51 Sheridan Ave since I was five years old. I attended Medford Public Schools from Kindergarten until my high school graduation.
My family has been in the city of Medford for the last 55 years and I am in the third of four generations of Murphys in the city of Medford. My father was a 1976 graduate of Medford High School as well as his three brothers. My uncle Sean “Gee” Murphy was co-captain of the 1983 undefeated GBL Baseball Team. My mother and father have called Medford home for the majority of their 30 year marriage. I am the middle of three children. My older brother Brian is a 2003 graduate of Medford High and my younger sister Kelly’s son will enter the Medford Public Schools in 2011. My family’s dedication to this city started in 1960 when my grandfather started work for the Medford DPW and gave 43 years until retiring in 2003 as the city’s timekeeper. My uncle and Godfather Wayne took on roles in the DPW from 1980 to present. I want to continue the family tradition of giving back and being a leader to the City of Medford.
I am a 2004 Graduate of Medford High School and in my time there I compiled an impressive resume. In three of my four years I was elected by my peers as a class officer serving as Secretary and two stints as class representative to the Medford School Committee. I was also selected by my sub-master to serve as one of two school representatives to the Greater Boston Chapter of the Massachusetts State Board of Education Student Advisory Council, which was made up of students trying to educate surrounding schools in policies and events for the Massachusetts Board of Education. I was earned three sport athlete letterings in football, track and field and lacrosse. I earned several team and school awards including The Mustang Club of Medford Scholarship, Skipper Lynch Memorial Scholarship, P. Daniel Donovan Scholarship and the Steve Miller Memorial Football Award. In my Junior and Senior years I also had a segment on Sports Spotlight, which was the school’s sports show from 2002 until 2005. I will always hold the great lessons I have learned in my time at Medford High School whether they were in the class room or for the real world.
While attending Bunker Hill community College I majored in History and Government Studies and took classes in city government. My adviser and government professor was one of the first educators nationally to teach the State and Local Politics in the college class room. From him I learned the legality and process of city government.
Since 1993 I have been a member of the Boy Scouts of America. In my time as a scout, I learned how to become an active member of society. I earned twenty-two merit badges that taught me skills from first aid, to community government to swimming. In 1999 I was elected to the National Honor Society of the BSA known as the Order of the Arrow, and from 2000 to 2006 I served as a member of the executive committee for my council’s lodge. I was a chairman of several committees and was elected an officer on two separate occasions. My duties on the Committee consisted of fundraising, policy making, budgeting, event planning and grant writing. I am a recipient of the Lodge’s outstanding member in 2001, the Vigil Honor which is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a member of the Order as well as the Founder’s Award which is a national award given to two members each year for outstanding service. In 2004 I earned the rank of Eagle Scout which is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.
Since 2006 I have been an employee of Hallmark Health System. I work in Transport Service and I am assigned to Lawrence Memorial Hospital where my duties are to transport patients to test sites as well as assisting in system wide mail distribution and sorting. I am a member of the system-wide Fall Prevention Committee and in 2007 was a member of the Relay for Life Team.
My active organizational affiliations include:
– Sons of the American Legion, Post 45 Medford
– Mt. Vernon Galilean Lodge of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons
– National Eagle Scout Association, Life Member
– Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America
– Order of the Arrow, National Honor Society for the Boy Scouts of America
– Charlestown Townies “Semi Pro Footballâ€, I have been a member of the Townies organization for the last 5 years and was a member of the 2008 League Champion Team. I have taken the year off from playing but still serve as a member of the Townies leadership team working on the team’s website.
– I have also applied to become a member of The Medford Parent Advisory Council for Special Education, having been a special education student myself I want to try to help and advocate for current students to receive a high quality education in our school system.
I’ve always wanted to be a leader not a follower. Ever since I was 8 years old I have had the itch for running for office in this city. I can remember sitting in the mayor’s office when I was eight on a Boy Scout field trip telling Mayor McGlynn I was going to take his job one day. He loves telling that story to this day. I have always been one to volunteer in everything growing up and have been told my whole life by people that one day they are going to be voting. When I was in High School I meet Paul Camuso who at the time had just been elected to his first term. After meeting with him, I saw that young people can get involved and make a difference in city politics. After going to my first school committee meeting when I was a freshman I told myself this is what I will do when the time comes. I wanted the best educational experience for the students that would come after me in the Medford School System. After the last city election I decided that this was something I was going to do in my life and I was not waiting any longer to do it.
The new goals for education have been centered on “education for the 21st century” and I am a student of the 21st century. I have lived through No Child Left Behind. I have taken the MCAS, not just heard reports on it. I have experienced first hand Title 1 and Special Education having been in those programs throughout my time in Medford Public Schools. I am a young voice who can understand the needs of today’s students and can serve as an advocate for them. I have experience in budgeting and policy making which I will bring to the table. I can promise the parents, tax payers and most importantly the students of Medford that I will work tirelessly as a representative for them as a member of the Medford School Committee.