Boxer Love Story: Stacey (Barnes) Mendes '00, MAT '01 and Joe Mendes, PA '02

Stacey met her husband, Joe, during her graduate year.

Stacey’s roommate, Amanda (Clark) Smith ’00, and her both completed undergraduate degrees from Pacific and were continuing straight through into their masters’ programs starting in the summer.

“Amanda was my close friend, and was in the physician assistant program while I was getting my master of arts in teaching (MAT) in Early Childhood/Elementary Education,” said Stacey.

During the early days of Amanda's program there were many “get-to-know you” BBQ's and other “get social” events. Amanda asked Stacey to come with her to a BBQ. That is the first night Stacey met and talked with her now husband, Joe Mendes.

“We had a great conversation but I didn't think anything of it really,” said Stacey.

Then Amanda decided to have a Fourth of July retreat for her classmates at her beach house in Waldport, Ore. She invited Stacey to go along with her. The extended time away from school to really talk with Joe was when their true connection was made.

“We've been connected at the hip ever since!”

Stacey and Joe have been married since 2005.

Read more Boxer love stories at pacific.edu/lovestory