Professional Achievement Award

Dr. Sheri M. Carson-Beauto, Nurs ’97, Grad ’03
Tucson, Ariz.

Dr. Sheri Carson-Beauto aims to Be The Difference through her work in pediatric nursing. When she was a new pediatric nurse, she provided care to a two-year-old patient who had been physically abused by an adult. The experience affected her deeply and led her to implement comprehensive child physical abuse screening in the emergency department of a local children’s hospital.

Today, Sheri advocates for health policy mandating this screening in all pediatric clinical settings, not just emergency departments. She also trains future pediatric nurse practitioners as an assistant clinical professor at the University of Arizona. For her work, Sheri has been recognized as the PNP of the Year for the Arizona Chapter of NAPNAP and as part of Johnson & Johnson’s “Nurses Leading Innovation”.

Born and bred in California, Sheri couldn’t imagine attending college in Wisconsin. But schools near her didn’t offer four-year direct-entry nursing programs, and Marquette did. Despite her doubts about the Midwest, she applied and was accepted. When she learned that she received the Ignatian Scholarship, which was closely followed by a handwritten note from the assistant dean of the College of Nursing, Sheri and her mom decided to visit.

“It was a beautiful weekend in May, and the tulips in front of St. Joan of Arc chapel were in full bloom,” she remembers. “After touring the chapel and visiting the College of Nursing, I was sold.” Sheri earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing and then completed Marquette’s pediatric nurse practitioner program six years later.

The time at Marquette strengthened Sheri’s faith; she loved attending Mass and serving in campus ministry. “From the stellar education I received to the faith development, leadership experiences and friendships formed,” Sheri says, “I am the person and nurse I am today because of Marquette.”

Fun Facts:

What is one of your favorite Marquette memories?

Attending Tuesday night Mass at St. Joan of Arc Chapel with Fr. Naus was one of the highlights of my Marquette experience. I also enjoyed the Team Tug events when I was an undergrad. There were always so many laughs to be had when you get a ton of college kids together tugging from opposite ends of a rope!

Share something interesting that you're currently involved with personally.

I developed a pet therapy program for the University of Arizona College of Nursing back in 2013. I trained my sweet golden retriever, Hannah, to be a therapy dog, and she accompanied me to the college for seven years until her untimely death in 2021. I now have another golden retriever who just turned 2, and I am beginning to work on her training so that she can also become certified as a therapy dog. I am excited to get back to providing that service to the students and my community.