The Beaumont Award recognizes those who, by their conduct, in the categories of Leadership, Service and Philanthropy, have dramatically contributed their time, effort and/or financial support and have thereby bestowed extraordinary gifts upon the Beaumont School Community in furthering the school’s mission of educating young women for life, leadership and service.
Mary Jo Paulett Toumert ’75 is the 2023 recipient of The Beaumont Award. Mary Jo is an experienced employment and business attorney, former member of the Board of Directors, former Board President, and longtime supporter of Beaumont School. Going back to the late 90’s, Mary Jo shared insights and expertise on HR matters with then-President Sister Ritamary Welsh, and as a Board member and then Board Chair in 2012, Mary Jo steered the Board and Beaumont through important years of strategic planning and campus development, culminating with the $9.5 Million Advancing Excellence Campaign and construction of the STEM wing. Her remarkable journey of contributing time, strategic guidance, financial support, and heart-felt dedication to Beaumont that led to her being named The Beaumont Award recipient.
Sr. Cheryl Mentkowski, OSU, came to Beaumont as a Theology and Social Studies teacher in 1985. She has spent her entire academic career at Beaumont serving in a variety of capacities. She was a long-time member of the Social Studies department and teaching primarily classes in American History and American Government. Her wide-ranging roles at Beaumont have included: Senior Class Moderator, Junior and Senior Homeroom Teacher, Social Studies Department Chairperson, Liturgy music and song leader, Fathers’ Club Moderator, Project Real Coordinator, Director of All-School Fundraising Drive, Principal’s Advisory committee member, and as a Member of Academic and Spirituality Committee of the Beaumont Board of Directors. Sr. Cheryl currently serves as Beaumont Mission Integration Director.
Sr. Ann Wojnar, OSU, has been one of Beaumont’s most forward-thinking educators since she began at Beaumont in 1982. She pursued one of the earliest degrees in Computer Science at Columbia University in New York, and armed with her Ivy League education recognized an entirely new approach in acquiring, storing, and transmitting information. Sr. Ann set out to convince the Beaumont administration that computer technology was the wave of the future and should be integrated into the Beaumont curriculum at all levels. She created the first Beaumont computer room one computer at a time. Sr. Ann, even with her reserved and private nature, moved Beaumont into the computer age and established a standard of innovation, persistence and creativity which are hallmarks of an Ursuline education. The Sister Ann Wojnar Innovation Lab was dedicated in her honor.
Ray and Eleanor Smiley are the recipients of the 2018 Beaumont Award. Through the generosity of the Smiley family, Beaumont was able to advance our fundraising efforts dramatically in 2018. They have generously supported Catholic organizations throughout Cleveland, often challenging them to build their capacity for fundraising. We are grateful to the Smiley Family for their continued belief in Catholic education and their willingness to invest in Beaumont in order to better support our students.
