Rebecca and Joe Hawkes-Cates met in 2009 while volunteering at a Miner football game.
“We handed out fruit and water to the marching band,” she says. “I was in Kappa Kappa Psi and he was in Tau Beta Sigma. We hung out together and just found each other really easy to talk to.”

The next year, Rebecca earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and biological sciences. Joe earned bachelor’s degrees in computer engineering and computer science in 2011.
Married in 2013, a few of their favorite shared campus experiences included supporting the marching band at the football games and attending band parties together.
Today Rebecca works as an ICU nurse at St. Luke’s East and Joe works as a platform management engineer at Cerner.
Their relationship advice?
“Be open and honest about everything with your partner,” she says. “You can’t build a solid foundation without communication and trust.”
Share This Story
Spark a Memory?
Share your story! Fill out the form below to share your fondest memory or anecdote of S&T. If you'd prefer not typing, you can also share by phone at 833-646-3715 (833-Miner150).
Chloe Howenstein-Heskin and Shayne Heskin
Chloe Howenstein-Heskin and Shayne Heskin met during the spring semester of their freshman year in 2011. The two were part…
Kathy (Stone) and Bob Phillips
Kathy (Stone) and Bob Phillips were both living in TJ Hall’s North Tower when they met in August 1986 while…
Bringing back the wetlands
Donald Hey, a 1963 graduate in civil engineering, is passionate about proving the economic efficiency and sustainability of using restored…
Matthew Harris and Grace Lupo
During a biostatistics lab in the fall of 2017, Matthew Harris saw Grace Lupo sitting by herself and invited her…
Not your average Joe
You know all about Joe Miner, the world’s greatest mascot. But do you know Joe Minor, the civil engineer? Joseph…
Cheryl B. Schrader on strategic planning
Cheryl B. Schrader, who served as chancellor between 2012 and 2017, describes her approach to strategic...