As an optometry student, every day is a journey—packed with discovery, growth, laughter, and yes, a few tears along the way. When this adventure begins, love is often the last thing on anyone’s mind; the focus is on becoming a spectacular optometrist, caring deeply for patients, and developing into the best version of oneself. Yet for a fortunate few, something extraordinary happens, like finding the LOVE of your life! Maybe the eyes really are the window to the soul… or perhaps even to a soulmate!
Enjoy some of our College of Optometry love stories. If you have a love story to share, please email alumni@umsl.edu by February 10, 2026!
Patrick and Jackie Fiddler 2020
How we met: Patrick and I were friends since our first year of optometry school. It wasn’t until Eyeball of our second year where we took the next step in our relationship, where we finally admitted we liked each other a bit more than just friends.
Where are we now? We got engaged shortly after graduation in 2020 and then married in 2021 in St. Louis, MO. Since then, we have moved to Memphis, TN where we are both assistant professors at the Southern College of Optometry. We are proud parents of four dogs; Iris, Ret, Polly, and Macie (yes, all have an eye themed name!) and enjoy working with the future of optometry every day. We love that we are “Eye School Sweethearts,” and thankful to UMSL and optometry for bringing us together.
Kenton Driver 1990 and Stacy Clark 1992
I met Stacy Clark in optometry school at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. She was a first-year student, and I was a third-year student just beginning to perform patient exams—she was one of my very first practice exam patients. Although we were both raised in western Kansas and both attended Kansas State University, our paths didn’t cross until optometry school.
I began practicing optometry in Salina, Kansas, in October of 1990, and we were married in March of 1993. Together, we formed Drs. Driver & Clark. Our main office remains in Salina, with an outreach clinic in Minneapolis, Kansas, a small town about 30 miles away. I primarily see geriatric patients, while Dr. Clark specializes in scleral contact lenses and vision therapy.
We have two children. Our daughter, Bailey, is the Director of Marketing for a commercial real estate company in Kansas City, and our son is currently a third-year optometry student at UMSL.
Justin and Abigail Kendall 2020
Abigail and I met at the UMSL COO student mixer in early 2016. We immediately hit it off over our love for SEC football and Chick-Fil-A. We dated throughout optometry school and moved to Huntsville, Alabama in 2020 so Abigail could complete her residency at the UAB COO and I could start working at a private practice. Upon completing her residency, we made the move to Columbia, MO so Abigail could begin her career at the University of Missouri Mason Eye Institute, where we both work now. We got engaged on 04/03/21 at Forrest Park in STL, where we had our first ever date. We got married on 03/19/22 in Nashville, and welcomed our first child, Jameson, two years later to the date on 03/19/24. We are very happy and have the UMSL COO to thank for that!
Brad and Rachel Engelbarts 2014
Like many UMSL love stories, ours began in optometry school. We technically met on the first day of class, but our story didn’t really begin until second year. We were both scheduled to conduct a school vision screening at a local elementary school and decided to carpool. During that drive, we talked about our families, our backgrounds, and quickly realized how much we had in common.
Our first time spending time together one-on-one was a study session at Picasso’s Coffee House in downtown St. Charles. While we were studying, a song came on over the speakers, and Brad jokingly bet Rachel a steak dinner that she couldn’t name the artist. Unbeknownst to him, she’s a bit of a classic rock expert and immediately accepted. She correctly identified “Mainstreet” as being by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band—earning herself a steak dinner.
That bet led to our first official date at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in downtown St. Louis, and the rest is history.
Today, we are grateful for a very full life together. We have five children, including two sets of twins. Brad is currently completing Naval Aerospace Optometry training in Pensacola, Florida, and our family will soon be relocating to Virginia Beach. Rachel is taking a short break from clinical practice to spend time with our young children, with plans to return part-time once we’re settled in Virginia.
UMSL will always hold a special place in our hearts—it’s where our journey together began.
Matt Falconer 2022 and Lauren Dermody Falconer 2021
Matt and I were neighbors at the University Meadows, and he was my assigned patient for mock white coat. We started talking at the White coat party for my class in 2019. He asked me on a date to the Hilton 360 in April 2019, and we have been together ever since! Matt was a year behind me in school, but it was so nice to support each other during tough testing periods, boards, and rotations. He proposed on his home turf at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC, in March 2021. I was a fourth year, and he was a third year. We got married September 17, 2022 in St. Louis after he graduated in May 2022. We now live in Ellisville, MO, and are expecting our first child in June 2026! Matt practices at Reed Eye Care Center in Fairview Heights, IL, and I practice at Cherry Hills Family Eye Care in Wildwood, MO, and Sullivan Eye Care in Sullivan, MO. We love having the same career. We love to talk about interesting things we see at work, and we can help each other if we have any questions!