We caught up with Molly Centa Rochester '87, her mom, Mary Ann Tobbe Centa '52 and her daughter Cate Rochester '24. Three generations of beloved Beaumont memories! Cate '24 loves that Beaumont is the common thread shared by the women in her family, "I am fortunate to share in the education and community that make my mom and grandma women who I look up to."
Share your favorite class or teacher:
Mary Ann ‘52: That's easy, I loved math.
Molly ‘87: I loved Studio Art and my art teachers: Mrs. Brown, Mrs. DiSanto, and Sr. Lucia. Mrs. Bihuniak taught us how to write and edit like no other. Miss Brolli was so young and fun for Brit Lit. Mrs. Laidman was the best! She made Algebra II and Trig tolerable for me. Although I never mastered the language, I adored Madame Luke in French class. Mrs. Plent's wise advice in AP History, before every dance was: Girls, the only thing you owe your date is the pleasure of your company!
Cate ‘24: My favorite classes at Beaumont have been IB Bio with Mr. Masters, Studio Art with Mrs. LoPresti and Ms. Sal, and IB Lit I with Ms. Morth. All of these teachers' passion for teaching and the subjects that they teach is contagious and makes me love these classes.
Tell us your favorite Beaumont tradition:
Mary Ann ‘52: Ice skating on Lake Garda
Molly ‘87: I love telling people how as seniors we painted our cars and jumped the wall, as if we were prisoners for four years LOL! In the late spring for a few years, we could count on the Benedictine seniors lining up against the windows of the Foyer, dropping their pants, and mooning us! Sr. Ellen Mary (aka Sr. Margaret Ann) would push us all back from the windows with conviction, but we believed she was amused by the whole escapade! As seniors, we took a class trip to NYC. We saw the sites, ate in Chinatown, and saw A Chorus Line on Broadway. We did not have Kairos, but I recall Junior Retreat, which was held at a classmate's house. I remember it being meaningful and fun, and yet another way for us to bond within our Beaumont community. I enjoyed our dances and scrambling for dates: Sophomore Dance, Thanksgiving Dance, Christmas Ball, and Junior and Senior Proms. We had a friendly and fun class. I recall lots of laughs in the cafeteria during lunch or ILTs. I don't think we fully appreciated the sisterhood we had, in an all-girls school, just doing our thing, without the noise of boys!
Cate ‘24: The Beaumont traditions I love the most are singing the Alma Mater at mass or assemblies and when the Seniors jump the wall. The Alma Mater is such a unique part of the Beaumont community. Coming together will my classmates, linking arms, and singing captures the sisterhood Beaumont truly has. Jumping the wall as Seniors is another tradition unique to Beaumont which I love. Watching the Seniors run through the halls one last time and then jump the wall is such a bittersweet experience. I cannot believe that in a few months, it will be my turn to jump the wall.
What’s the best part of having your mom/daughter/granddaughter attend Beaumont:
Mary Ann ‘52: It's nice to keep the tradition in the family and share stories of how things have changed.
Molly ‘87: It's emotional to see how much Cate has grown from a quiet freshman and blossomed into the confident young woman that she's become at Beaumont and beyond. The support and encouragement from faculty and classmates have allowed Cate to tackle challenges I never thought she would. In a similar way, I love the opportunity to witness how much Beaumont has grown - how the girls have so many more traditions than we did, like the Hot Chocolate bar during exams, Beaumont Day, and singing the Alma Mater. Watching them link arms and be excited to sing the Alma Mater warms my heart - I'm not sure we even knew all the words to the Alma Mater when I was there! Beaumont has always been a special place - for my mom and for me, but watching the next generation soar within those walls makes me so proud and happy.
Cate ‘24: I love hearing stories from my mom's and grandma's times at Beaumont. It's such a special thing to share the Beaumont community with my family.
Favorite Song/Band
Mary Ann ‘52: Guy Lombardo
Molly ‘87: We listened to a lot of Madonna, Whitney Houston, Wham! and Michael Jackson as we cruised up and down Mayfield Road!
Cate ‘24: Noah Kahan
Favorite TV Show
Mary Ann ‘52: Burns and Allen
Molly ‘87: The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Who's the Boss, Growing Pains, and if I didn't have practice or an activity after school, I'd try to catch the last half hour of General Hospital.
Cate ‘24: Parks and Rec
Favorite lunch to buy at school
Mary Ann ‘52: We packed our lunches
Molly ‘87: I usually packed my lunch, but enjoyed buying snacks like Little Debbie's Nutty Buddys and Hostess' Suzy-Qs. We did not have the cuisine these girls have now with Chef Bo!
Cate ‘24: The line for chicken nuggets and fries has been practically down the hall at times. I love the Beaumont cookie.
