Ray Kelly
NYPD
New York, NY USA
"A lot of people don't think about what makes them happy or what they want to do. They do it because their father did it; they go to the family business or they go to the family school."
Career Roadmap
Ray's work combines: Government, Armed Services, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
Manhattan College
Graduate Degree
Law
New York University
Doctorate
Law
St John's University-New York
Graduate Degree
Public Administration
Harvard University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
He grew up on the west side of Manhattan, back when it was still a dangerous place.
2.
After graduating from college, he joined the NYPD's first police cadet program marketed to college grads.
3.
He immediately loved police work-says that the adrenaline rush of responding to a call excites him.
4.
All three of his older brothers had joined the Marine Corps, so when he was offered a commission to their officer program, he accepted.
5.
Left the NYPD for three years to serve in the Vietnam War, but immediately returned after his active duty was over.
6.
From there, he quickly rose through the ranks; he was promoted to captain, and then he was elected commissioner for two terms.
7.
Says that everyone he knows who chose a career based on salary is not very happy.
8.
Urges road-trippers to think about why they love what they love, and to make sure they're not just following someone else's career path.