Since 1951, the Beaudry Award has been the only recognition formally presented to one graduating senior during the commencement ceremony. This award is voted on by the senior class and is given to an individual who exemplifies the ideal of Jesuit education. On May 18, Jenna Kelly ’25 will be presented the Beaudry Award for commitment to leadership, academic achievement and service to campus and the Cleveland community.
Kelly is from Rochester, New York, and began the college decision process at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I want[ed] a school that focuses on spirituality. I want[ed] a small school that cares about me that notices me and I want a school that’s gonna help me grow,” Kelly told The Carroll News.
After touring John Carroll four times, three during the pandemic and once after students came back to campus, Kelly officially became a Blue Streak. “It was the easiest decision ever.”
Kelly arrived on campus unsure of where her academic career would take her. “I knew I wanted to help people and I knew I was interested in learning about how the systems we have hurt people. I wanted to know how I can help and what I can do to make it better.”
With the help of Academic Success Advisor Ed Mish, Kelly managed a triple major in sociology & criminology; peace, justice & human rights and gender, sexuality & women’s studies. She credits her professors and department heads for assisting her in creating “a very intentional plan” to graduate on time.
Kelly intends to become a social worker, which will merge three of her passions: helping people, understanding systems of oppression and advocating for women’s rights. This desire was solidified through her internship with Zellie’s Home, a non-profit shelter for mothers and children in Cleveland. The day-to-day tasks varied but Kelly enjoyed the “relationship building and growing that relationship with the moms and their kids.”
Next year, she will be moving to Los Angeles to do a year of service at Homeboy Industries, serving “populations or environments that are at risk for being targeted to become gang members.” Kelly believes that her education at John Carroll coupled with her internship experiences have prepared her to enter this next phase of life and she hopes to build meaningful relationships with those she encounters.
“There’s so much more to a person than the way they respond to a specific situation,” she explained, “so I definitely have learned to go into each work environment with grace… [I] try to just focus on getting to know the person and understand their story before trying to assume why they act the way they do.”
Upon hearing she would be the recipient of the Beaudry Award, Kelly was “overcome with emotion” and is honored by the recognition of her peers. However, Kelly firmly believes she is a product of the effort and belief by those she has met throughout her four years at JCU. “I am where I am because of this campus and because of the people I’ve met,” she said.
Even though her time on campus is coming to an end, Kelly will forever be a Blue Streak, carrying a desire to understand and a passion for service that has been instilled in her through a Jesuit education.
“What people are going to remember is how you treat them and how you made them feel,” Kelly reflected. “I hope that there are a lot of people who know that no matter what they’re going through, like I would be here for them.”
