Most people want to break out of school, not into it. Even for Jay Withey, it took an extraordinary reason to do. On Christmas Eve 2022, he simply wanted to stay alive and help others do the same.
While most people were spending time with family, the 27-year-old Withey was trapped in his car during a Western New York snowstorm. As told in this article, he would make his way to the Edge Academy located near Buffalo. Withey then broke out one of the school’s windows setting off an alarm. However, because of the blizzard the police were unable to quickly respond.
Once the police arrived at the scene, they discovered the following note:
As you can see, it read “Got stuck at 8 p.m. Friday and slept in my truck with two strangers. Just trying not to die. There were 7 elderly people also stuck and out of fuel. I had to do it to save everyone and get them shelter and food and a bathroom.”
As the school’s surveillence system showed, not only did Withey rescue the seven elderly individuals, he would eventually help twenty-four people and two dogs find shelter at the school during the storm. Withey would use the school’s snowblower to dig out other vehicles and also clear the streets for snowplows.
The individuals spent their Christmas Day watching football games, playing in the gym, eating only essentials from the school’s cafeteria, and keeping warm. No word on if they took advantage of the school’s chemistry lab or library.
Remarkably, like all good guests do, the temporary residents left the school cleaner than they found it when finally able to leave.
There are three leadership lessons we learn from Jay Withey along with the two qualities needed to make a difference in the countless lives of others:
Fear Does The Work Of Reason
“Fear does the work of reason” is a quote attributed to Winston Churchill. It is not logical to break into a school or any establishment for that matter. However, the fear of losing one’s life in a blizzard will cause you to do uncommon things.
The Value Of Everyday Heroes
Ordinary people can do extraordinary things when required to do so. By all accounts, Withey appears to be an average citizen but his selfless acts possibly saved the lives of dozens of people.
The Cheektowaga Police wrote on their Facebook page, “Because of Jay Withey, people are still alive.”
Resourcefulness Is Required When Making A Difference
Creativity results from scarcity, not abundance. All Withey had at his disposal was an empty school building, a snowblower, some snacks, blankets, and a gymnasium. But this was enough to rescue two dozen people from the blizzard and provide them shelter.
Sandy Black, one of the individuals rescued, said, “It was an ordeal but thanks to Jay we all had a place to stay warm.”
Smart leaders focus on what they do have, not what they don’t.
The 2 Qualities Needed To Make A Difference In The Countless Lives Of Others
Withey would tell ABC News, “I’m just grateful that I had the opportunity, and I had the will to do it.” Those are the two qualities needed to make a difference in the lives of countless people – Opportunity and Will.
First, if you want to make a difference in someone’s life, look for opportunities in which a difference can be made. This always involves a set of circumstances creating a problem that needs to be solved. In Withey’s case, it was a life-threatening blizzard causing people to be trapped in their cars.
Second, not only do you need an opportunity caused by the proper set of circumstances, you then need the will to actually get involved and make a difference. This requires an intentional decision by you or someone else to be part of the solution.
The ability to recognize opportunity and the will to engage the issue, both were qualities possessed by Jay Withey. Perhaps you have them as well.
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