Jay was quite a baseball player and earned a scholarship to play at Shippensburg University following success in high school. Two weeks before starting classes, he was relaxing at the beach with friends. While swimming, he was hit by a wave as it broke, spiking him headfirst into the sand and shattering his vertebrae at C-5 resulting in quadriplegia. His life had taken a dramatic turn but he was able to complete his associate's degree in general studies from Penn College. However, full-time meaningful employment was not to be and Jay found himself miserable, bored and dependant on SSI. He knew that his job opportunities would increase with a bachelor's degree so he returned to Penn College in the Fall of 2015 to pursue a degree in Business Administration/Banking Finance where he earned a 4.0 in his first two semesters. Jay also serves as a board member for the Mill Creek/Montoursville Little League and the Center for Independent Living and is an event organizer for ResearchForCure.org.