Support

In June 2024, a gift of $350,000 from the estate and family of Hugh Jesse Arnelle, a triple-letter scholar-athlete from the NRHS Class of 1951, was celebrated in the newly renovated NRHS weight room, renamed the H. Jesse Arnelle Weight Room, where his retired NRHS basketball and football jerseys now adorn the walls. The gift designates $250,000 for an endowed scholarship and $100,000 for student programming.

Mr. Arnelle played football at Penn State and was also an All-American basketball player. He became that university’s first Black student body president, a professional athlete, an attorney, and a human and civil rights advocate who worked on Bobby Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign. Arnelle later used his voice to champion change in Penn State’s recruitment policies and open the door for minority students and faculty.

Annually, the H. Jesse Arnelle Endowed Scholarship of $10,000 will go to an NRHS graduating senior who has financial need or is one of the first generation to enroll in post-secondary education, who embodies his legacy in athletics and academic achievements.

The Jerry Bilik Scholarship for Music Education was established in 2022 to ensure that NRHS students with a passion for music and financial need have access to private instruction to prepare for the required auditions for college programs in music education.

Jerry Bilik (NRHS ‘51) is a composer, conductor and director of stage productions. He has arranged compositions for universities, films, television and shows, including Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, as well as the touring shows of Disney Live! and Disney on Ice.

Dr. Edward C. Pasciuti, a beloved teacher and longtime high school counselor, has left a lasting legacy. With a market-dependent $1 million legacy gift in 2024 to the NR Fund, his contributions will continue to enrich students for years to come.

After graduating from NRHS as the Salutatorian of the Class of 1944, Dr. Pasciuti earned a degree at Princeton, then returned to NRHS as a history and math teacher and served 36 years as a guidance counselor. He remains in touch with many of his former students.

Two spaces at NRHS will be named in his honor: The Pasciuti Center for College and Careers and The Pasciuti Center for Creative Arts. Since Dr. Pasciuti’s parents, Charles and Jeanette Pasciuti, were also NRHS graduates (1917 and 1920) and appreciated the arts, a unique space in NRHS room 338 will be named The Pasciuti Center for Creative Arts. The Pasciuti Center will contain an electronic music lab and serve as an intimate music and dramatic arts performance space. A mural will adorn one wall, highlighting the rich arts programs at NRHS.