Nick's story
Nick Napolitano was a born-and-raised Atlantan, where he attended The Westminster Schools, was a star athlete and a scholar. After graduation, Nick moved to Winston Salem, North Carolina to attend Wake Forest University. Nick became well known at Wake Forest for his ability to bring people together. He was easy-going, inviting and a hard worker. He was elected president of his fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon, and graduated with honors. Nick then found himself in New York City as a financial and credit analyst for CIT Healthcare. He was passionate about traveling, Atlanta sports and spending time with friends and family.
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On August 7, 2011, Nick looked down from a rocky Rhode Island promontory to see a friend and fellow Wake Forest fraternity brother in danger of drowning as eight-foot waves pounded the shore. Without hesitation, he jumped in and pulled him away from the cove that was taking the brunt of the waves. While Nick managed to pull his friend to relative safety, the undertow against the rocks was too aggressive, and Nick lost his own life.
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Photo by Tori Hill, August 2012
The NVN Foundation, in honor and in memory of Nicholas Val Napolitano, was established in 2011 with the purpose of keeping Nick’s legacy alive by contributing to worthy causes in his name and selecting those causes that encompass the qualities he represented. Nick lost his life putting others before himself, and our hope is that the NVN Foundation can inspire others to put the good of others before their own. From sports to education to youth outreach programs, we are dedicated to making a difference in our community by leading and loving through a legacy.