Marjorie A. Perry ’05 Owns Her Legacy

Marjorie A. Perry ’05 (standing) with her mentee and NJIT alumna, Rashmi Kamkeri ’18

“Own your greatness. Own your power.” That’s what Marjorie A. Perry ’05 is most likely to say to the young people who come to her seeking advice. It says a lot about how Marjorie lives her own life as well as what she took from her NJIT experience.

By the time Marjorie enrolled in NJIT, she had taught physical education in Newark’s public schools and had worked in corporate America. Soon after joining MZM Construction & Management, an entrepreneurial venture in the construction industry, she found herself leading the enterprise. “I struggled. I was a great manager, but I didn’t know how to think strategically. My NJIT professors helped me to change this mindset. I gained the knowledge and the confidence to think big and to think globally. It was a pivot point for me that I have been growing from ever since,” she says.

Thinking big extends to Marjorie’s philanthropy as well. “I had so many people give me a hand at NJIT,” she recalls. “If I can reach back to pull someone along through scholarship support, mentoring, and speaking, if I can be a light for someone else, then that is what I want to do.”

Over the years Marjorie, now chair of the university’s Board of Overseers, had been a loyal supporter of scholarships and athletics. But when Marjorie thought about what she really wanted to accomplish as a donor to NJIT, she wanted it to be special. “NJIT helped me to build the economic strength to do something that would make people take notice,” she says.

With the naming of the Marjorie A. Perry Theatre in the university’s Wellness and Events Center (WEC), Marjorie achieved her vision. “It is so wonderful to see my name displayed in a place where students go to cultivate their minds. I want them to ask who I am and to find inspiration in my story,” she says. “I never dreamed I would be able to do something like this, and to do it while I am alive to see it!”

Marjorie then decided to ensure the long-term value of her gift by including NJIT in her will. Her bequest gift will create an endowed fund that will in turn provide an enduring financial resource for the Perry Theatre and for the leadership-focused programs that will be presented there. The university was thrilled to welcome Marjorie into the 1881 Society, a special community of donors who choose to support the university through estate and gift planning.

As excited as she is to see her name gracing a major campus space, and as proud as she is to be an 1881 Society donor, Marjorie is eager to inspire others to join her in building something even greater. “Education makes a difference,” she says. “Let’s see to it that every student who wants to go to college can afford to do so. Every dollar makes a difference for these young people, who are the leaders of tomorrow. They need us now more than ever.”

For further information on the 1881 Society or to discuss leaving a legacy at NJIT through a planned gift, please contact:

Beth S. Kornstein
Associate Vice President, Planning Giving
(973) 596-8548
elizabeth.s.kornstein@njit.edu
njit.giftplans.org