Mary Grimaldi: The "Dean" of College Counselors Retires After 41 Years
Posted on August 20, 2020 in Articles
After 41 years and working in 17 different roles while at Beaumont School, Mary Grimaldi completed yet one more novel task before retirement, doing something she never imagined she would be doing… organizing a drive-in graduation during a pandemic.
“It was fun and just what we needed at this point in quarantine, but I missed the traditional Beaumont graduation ceremony because it is so beautiful,” says Mary. “But maybe this was God saving me a little bit too. I don’t know if I could have led the class into, and out of, the ceremony as I usually do without getting emotional, knowing this was my last time.”
As the Director of College Counseling, Mary has been finding the right college fit for Beaumont students for decades. However Mary’s greatest gift to those she has counseled has been helping them to understand and believe that their self-worth and all they have accomplished remains the same regardless of college acceptance or not.
“A student should not be minimized by unfavorable college admission decisions. I try to help them develop a tough skin if not admitted, and to accept the fact that whatever college they attend they will be a star and accomplish great things,” says Mary.
Mary started as a physical education and health teacher at Sister John Mary’s request to join Beaumont in 1980. Soon she discovered she loved talking to the students and helping them with their problems. She went back to school for a counseling degree and has been in the Guidance Department ever since.
During her 41 years at Beaumont, Mary has touched the lives of over half of all of our 7,000 living alumnae, making a real and lasting difference in their lives. She recalls one student in particular: “A few years back I worked with a student who was bright, but was not working to her potential because of personal issues. She wanted to attend Ohio State but was not admissible. I contacted Ohio State to inform them of the situation and assured them she would be a successful student if admitted. They heeded my recommendation and admitted her. Upon graduation this student assured me she would make the most of her opportunity to attend Ohio State. In December, this student came to visit me at Beaumont and gave me a Christmas gift. Inside the gift box was her first semester Ohio State report card. She had made the Dean’s List.”
Another alumna’s mother credits Mary for helping her daughter find exactly the right path, and Beaumont for preparing her as she graduates this year with a BA in Dance and Minor in IT. The alumna will start her first job as a professional dancer on Norwegian Cruise Lines, traveling through the Hawaiian Islands. “Because you took time to know my daughter and what would be best for her, she is starting her dream job.”
Recent graduate Elizabeth Carvajal ’20 sums it up best: “Beaumont has established fearlessness in my learning, behavior and mental state. I am no longer afraid to get an answer wrong, act on what I believe, and reach for the stars…because I am capable of anything! And that is what Beaumont is all about. Thank you, Ms. Grimaldi. You have helped me to know this throughout my college research process.”
While students and alumnae have felt Mary’s love and dedication, so too, have faculty and staff. Alicia McLean, Director of Guidance, 11/12 Counselor has worked with Mary for more than 11 years. “Working with Mary has been one of the greatest parts of my career. She epitomizes what Beaumont stands for, and why I also have committed to this special place.”
Sister Cheryl Mentkowski, Director of Mission Integration, says “Mary is the ‘dean’ of college counselors. Her experience and her vast network of contacts at the colleges and among her fellow counselors have provided invaluable help to Beaumont seniors for decades. She is a big part of the heart of Beaumont. She will be missed in so many ways.”
When you ask Mary what she plans to do with her time now, she doesn’t hesitate with her answer, her love and passion: “Golf, golf, golf.” But she won’t readily forget what has also been her love and passion for 41 years, and what she’ll miss most: “The Beaumont community – the people who make Beaumont so special.”
As Mrs. McLean says, “Mary Grimaldi has been the face of Beaumont for many decades and her legacy will live on for many more.”
Original Article From: https://www.beaumontschool.org/news/2020/08/20/beaumont-news-summer-2020-mary-grimaldi-the-dean-of-college-counselors-retires-after-41-years
