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).
From Miners to olympians
Two alumni have worked their way into the Olympics through hard work and determination. Tyrone Smith and Shawn Wallace both…
Katie (Thompson) and Dan Aiken
Katie (Thompson), a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, and Dan Aiken, a member of Sigma Pi, were living next door…
Nick Swanson and Julia Ingram
Although Nick Swanson and Julia Ingram met during an informational meeting for FRC Robotics during high school back in 2011,…
Teresa (Schneider) and Samuel Vohsen
Even though as students, Teresa (Schneider) and Samuel Vohsen spent many hours in McNutt Hall as ceramic engineering and geology…
Brandi (Andersen) and Patrick VerSteeg
Brandi (Andersen) and Patrick VerSteeg met during Opening Week in 2006. “My roommate and I knew Patrick’s roommate from Jackling…
Miner athletics’ biggest fan
Keith Bailey, a 1964 mechanical engineering graduate, transformed a company and then transformed S&T athletics. He joined Williams Co. in…