Extraordinary

For seventeen years, Dr. Michael J. Reilly served as principal of West Morris Central High School. Titles, however, rarely capture the true measure of a person. While he was an administrator by profession, he was, more importantly, a servant leader by example, a man whose influence extended far beyond schedules, policies, and school budgets. His greatest work was helping others discover their own potential.

If there is one phrase that will forever be associated with Dr. Reilly, it is this:

"Make Your Life Extraordinary."

This phrase was inspired by the film Dead Poet’s Society and serves as a fitting summary of an educator’s life’s work. In one of the movie’s most memorable and moving scenes, the teacher, played by Robin Williams, challenges his students to “always strive to make your life extraordinary.” 

It was more than a slogan. It was a challenge. A call to action. A belief that each student, teacher, and staff member possessed unique gifts and the ability to leave a positive mark on the world. He encouraged people not simply to achieve success, but to pursue significance.

What made Dr. Reilly extraordinary was not a desire to be the center of attention. In fact, servant leadership is often defined by placing the growth and well-being of others ahead of personal recognition. He embodied this philosophy every day. He trusted people. He gave teachers the freedom to innovate, create, and teach with passion. He gave students the freedom to grow, lead, and learn from experience. Most importantly, he believed that when trust is given, people often rise to meet it.

And they did.

Countless students flourished under his leadership because they felt respected and empowered. Teachers felt valued as professionals because they were treated as professionals. Dr. Reilly understood that education is at its best when people are trusted to do meaningful work and supported in doing it well.

Perhaps nowhere was his philosophy more evident than in his deep respect for the teaching profession. He viewed teaching not merely as a career but as a calling, the noblest endeavor, for it allows educators to influence the noblest aspects of humanity, the within of a person, the heart and soul of another!

One of the most memorable exchanges from A Man for All Seasons captures this sentiment perfectly:

"Why not be a teacher? You'd be a fine teacher; perhaps a great one."

"If I was, who would know it?"

"You; your pupils; your friends; God. Not a bad public, that."

Those words reflect a truth Dr. Reilly understood deeply. The impact of a teacher is not measured by fame or public acclaim but by the lives touched along the way. A great teacher's legacy lives on in the character, accomplishments, and aspirations of students.

Dr. Reilly never forgot this truth. He held teachers in the highest regard because he recognized the profound influence they have on young people. As a result, he inspired many students to become educators themselves. His leadership created a ripple effect that continues today in classrooms across the country, where former West Morris Central students now teach, mentor, and guide the next generation.

That may be one of the greatest measures of a school leader's success, not what happened during his tenure, but what continues because of it.

The extraordinary thing about Dr. Reilly's legacy is that it was built through thousands of ordinary moments: conversations in hallways, encouragement offered at the right time, confidence placed in a teacher, trust extended to a student, a challenge to strive for something greater. Over seventeen years, those moments accumulated into something remarkable.

Schools are often remembered for championships won, buildings constructed, or programs launched. While those accomplishments matter, the enduring legacy of a principal is found in people. It is found in the lives shaped, the careers inspired, the confidence instilled, and the values modeled.

By that standard, Dr. Michael Reilly's legacy is immeasurable.

He shared these words in his final year as principal: “My favorite memory encompasses the fond recollections of all the wonderful young people I have had the privilege to interact with here at West Morris. Their potential encourages me, and their spirit has sustained and energized me over the years. I recall each of them with a twinkle in my eye, a smile on my face, and hope for the future in my heart. Thank you to all!” -Michael J. Reilly. 

Dr. Reilly at a pep rally in 1993.

Dr. Reilly in 2009, the year of his retirement.

His message remains as relevant today as ever: Make Your Life Extraordinary.

For those fortunate enough to have worked alongside him, learned under his leadership, or simply crossed paths with him, the challenge continues. To lead with humility. To trust others. To serve before seeking recognition. To value teachers and education. To help people become the best versions of themselves.

And perhaps most importantly, to remember that an extraordinary life is not defined by what we achieve for ourselves, but by what we inspire in others.

Dr. Reilly modeled the values he expected of the educators in his district by placing relationships and meaningful human interactions at the center of their work. He often shared the following poem to reinforce this message: 

The Human Touch

’Tis the human touch

in this world that counts,

The touch of your hand and mine,

Which means far more

to the fainting heart

Than shelter and bread and wine.

For shelter is gone

when the night is o’er,

And bread lasts only a day.

But the touch of the hand

And the sound of the voice

Sing on in the soul always.

-Spencer Michael Free

Thank you, Dr. Reilly, for showing generations of students and educators what extraordinary leadership looks like.

Michael J. Reilly served as an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership in the graduate education programs at the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, New Jersey. He previously worked as a high school educator for forty years. He taught English, was a counselor, a Supervisor of Counseling Services, an Assistant Principal and served as a High School Principal for the last twenty years of his career. His lifelong endeavor was to have a counseling atmosphere permeate a school’s environment. He was recognized in the year 2000 as the National Association of Secondary Schools Principal of the year for the State of New Jersey.