The Rosary Alumnae Association is proud to honor Beth Talbot Dienes as this year’s Alumna of the Year. 

Dedicated to Sacred Heart from the start, Beth attended ASH from Nursery through 12th grade, 1965-1979. Sacred Heart ties run strong in her family with her mother, aunts, sister, sister-in-law, daughters, cousins, and nieces all graduating from Sacred Heart. 

While in school, Beth enjoyed many of the traditions familiar to all of us: câche-câche, Mater’s Feast Mass, Rally, Congé, car parades to athletic events, Krewe of Fluff, Mother-Daughter lunch and presentation, writing her name in the attic and capping it all off, graduation. 

Along with the memorable activities come the people that make them and Beth’s experience at Sacred Heart would not be complete without the teachers and administrators that made a difference: Sr. Torian, RSCJ, Mrs. Abadie, Mrs. Keiffer; Mrs. Grenier, Toots Villere, Sr. Landry, Bro. Gale, Sr. Cameron, Mrs. de la Houssaye, Sr. Carmen Smith, Peggy Demarest, Nell Nolan, and Sr. Gavan. 

Beth’s involvement at Sacred Heart began as a student with many roles around campus including participating in several clubs, National Honor Society, and acting as President of the Student Council. She couldn’t get too far from school after that. She returned as a first grade teacher from 1983-1989 and continued to substitute for preschool and lower school teachers after she had her own children. Beth married her husband Eddie in the Sacred Heart Chapel and they have now been married for thirty-nine years. They have three children, Patrick, Betsy Hoskins ’06, and Caroline ’11. All three children went to ASH-FIN, and one of Beth’s best memories is being able to bring her children to work with her every day.  

From 1990 to 1995 the Dienes family moved out of New Orleans for Eddie’s job and Beth continued her love of teaching by teaching and substituting in Marietta, GA and Jacksonville, FL. 

After their return to New Orleans, Betsy and Caroline were enrolled as students and Beth dove in as a volunteer to help support her girls. Beth held almost every role: Room Mother for both daughters; volunteer tour guide for prospective parents and students; Bookstore volunteer; Father’s Club Golf Tournament volunteer; Auction volunteer and committee chair; Class Chair for Annual Giving, Congé Booth chair, Congé Co-Chair in 1999; Mother’s Club President 2003-2004. She also stayed involved as a Room Mother and parent group volunteer at her son, Patrick’s, schools. 

If all this wasn’t enough, Beth began her involvement on the Rosary Alumnae Association Board while her daughters were in school and hasn’t stopped since. During two different stints on the Alumnae Board Beth served as a volunteer for Alumnae Weekend, Family Mass, Bingo, Santa Party, Alumnae Phonathon, 1979 Class Chair, Alumnae Baby Party, House Captain for 3 Alumnae Home Tours and most recently served as the Alumnae Association President from 2018-2020 and the Nominations Committee Chair from 2020-2022. In 2018-19, Beth served as member of the Bicentennial Committee, in charge of planning celebrations connected to Sacred Heart’s Bicentennial, and in 2019, she served on the Associated Alumnae/i of Sacred Heart’s National Meeting Committee to plan their biennial conference. Presently, Beth continues to be a member of the Alumnae Association Board, the Children of Mary and Sacré Coeur Founders. 

Beth lets her Sacred Heart light shine in the broader community and is involved in many organizations around New Orleans including: Sustaining Member and former Board Member of the Junior League of New Orleans; served on and/or chaired  committees for the Boo at the Zoo; the Sugar Plum Ball;  the Louisiana Children’s Museum World’s Fair; Junior League Holiday Marketplace;  Boys Hope Girls Hope Gala; the Zoo-to-Do; Pi Beta Phi National Convention; is a member of the St. Catherine of Siena Women’s Club; and a regular provider of  meals for the homeless at the Rebuild Center with other Sacred Heart parents of alumnae.

Beth’s favorite “job” at present is being a grandmother to three granddaughters: Hunter (6), Margot (4), and Isla (4 months).