Scholarship Focus: Narges Taheri '98 Endowed Scholarship
Nearly 30 years after emigrating to the United States from Iran, Narges 鈥淣ikki鈥 Taheri, 鈥98, was drawn to give back to her alma mater. In 2019, the owner of FASTSIGNS on Broadway in Bayonne, N.J. created the Narges Taheri '98 Endowed Scholarship, with the assistance of the NJCU Foundation. The $5,000 annual scholarship benefits students in a creative field, particularly those majoring in art.
鈥淚 am so grateful, being at this place in my life,鈥 said Taheri. 鈥淪tarting this scholarship is in alignment with my purpose of being a person of service. As an alumnus, sharing my triumphs, my challenges and hardships as well as my experiences can help others emulate my successes while helping them avoid pitfalls.鈥
Taheri emigrated from Iran in May, 1993 in what she describes as a liberating moment in her life. She was 25 years old and both the language and culture was overwhelming. Literature and art became her refuge as she adjusted to life in America, its customs and the English language. Reading and drawing had been a comfort for her since her youth and through art, she discovered NJCU.
Taheri enrolled at NJCU in Spring, 1994 when it was still known as Jersey City State College, and graduated in 1998 with a B.A. in General Communications and Technology.
Her determination to be an artist and her love of communicating through design became a career. She credits the encouraging, helpful faculty and staff at NJCU for helping her cross the finish line to graduation.
鈥淭hey saw something in me I knew had 鈥 the determination to succeed and to make my way forward as an immigrant woman with a passion for art. Taking classes in art and in the general courses in Arts & Sciences gave me a great amount of knowledge. I became a different person with all of these opportunities in front of me and the world began to make more sense. I know if I studied hard and applied myself, all of these opportunities would be open to me.鈥
In her senior year, Taheri interned with a sign maker, who taught her how to apply what she had learned while studying art and her love for textiles, into her work.
鈥淗e ultimatel