McAuliffe Middle School has honored Lee Nestlerode as its 2019 Hero of the Heart for his 13 years of volunteer service in transforming the sound systems for the school’s choir, band, and drama programs.
Shannon Wallace, who directs the McAuliffe choir program, said that when Nestlerode first volunteered, “our program had only 60 students, a couple of computer speakers, and a microphone.” Nestlerode, who had two children then attending McAuliffe, assembled a new system out of parts he cobbled together and since then has dedicated himself to expanding and improving it, Wallace said, long after his children graduated.
“He designed the sound system in the choir room, dance room, and our newly refurbished MPR,” she said. “He builds sets and installs equipment. He helps to maintain and upgrade the facility, make repairs, and do whatever odd job we need. I just couldn’t do what I do without him. The McAuliffe community is endlessly grateful for his service.”
Nestlerode thanked Wallace and Principal Ryan Weiss-Wright for the award and said, “It’s wonderful to be part of the school district’s team.”
Courtesy photo
