After losing a battle with cancer, Luke Morse ’27's legacy lives on through the Luke Morse Memorial Endowed Scholarship started by his parents, Robert and Shelia Morse. The scholarship commemorates Luke's love for Texas A&M and passion for engineering and helping those around him.
Born and raised in San Antonio, Luke was first introduced to Texas A&M University through his sister, Rachel ’23. Rachel was Luke’s connection to Texas A&M, taking him to games, sharing the Aggie community and helping him fall in love with Aggieland.
“Luke fell in love with going to the school and made plans to get an engineering degree there. In fact, he didn’t apply to any other schools!” recalled Luke’s father, Robert Morse.
With his goal of becoming an Aggie engineer, Luke planned to attend A&M in the fall of 2022. Unfortunately, Luke was diagnosed with clear cell sarcoma, a rare cancer of the soft tissue, during his senior year of high school. This diagnosis did not deter Luke from his dreams; in fact, the desire and hope to be an Aggie kept him going during his cancer treatments.
“The Aggie community demonstrated tremendous empathy and compassion to Luke and his situation and was extremely accommodating in deferring his admission twice and making every available effort in allowing him to remain enrolled in the Class of ’26 and then the Class of ’27. He was proud to be an Aggie even though he was never able to attend; even in the weeks before he died, he was busy making plans to attend. We are deeply honored by the way the entire Texas A&M organization rallied and continues to rally around our family, in making our family part of theirs,” said Robert. “We are immensely grateful.”
Still inspired by Aggieland and the Aggie spirit, Luke attended his sister’s Aggie ring day and presented Rachel’s ring to her. Rachel wanted to inspire Luke to look forward to the day he earned his own Aggie gold.
Ultimately, due to his cancer treatments, Luke was unable to attend Texas A&M’s College of Engineering. Luke passed away on July 8, 2023, following his long battle with clear cell sarcoma (CCS).
“The treatments and symptoms for CCS can be grueling. There is no standard of care for CCS patients, so many experimental treatments are tried with hopes for a cure someday. Through it all, Luke did not complain,” his mother, Shelia, recalled. “He showed a deep sense of optimism and grit in the face of this disease. As his mom, I was honored to walk this difficult journey with Luke, wishing I could protect him and praying for a cure each day. Through it all, I was deeply inspired by his Aggie spirit!”
About 6 months before he died, Luke painted a wooden sign with the words “LIVE LIFE BOLD” that hung in his room.
“The phrase resonated with him deeply because it captured how he was approaching his life despite his cancer diagnosis—with determination, resilience, and perseverance. This wall hanging became a daily reminder of the courageous way he faced life, and it hung proudly in his bedroom as a testament to his spirit,” said Shelia. The sign now hangs next to his photo in the foyer of the family’s house.
Following Luke’s passing, the Aggie community and student body showed the Morse family a tremendous demonstration of love and support in their time of grief.
“The Texas A&M community rallied around our family during our deepest days of sorrow, honoring Luke at the Silver Taps event with multitudes of letters and an invitation to Aggie Muster,” recalled the Morse family.
Because of Luke’s love for A&M and the compassion shown to their family by the Aggie community, Shelia and Robert established a scholarship in Luke’s name. “Luke was not able to graduate from the Texas A&M Engineering school himself, but in honor of him, we’d like to sponsor another student’s ability to do so,” Shelia said.
“The Luke Morse Memorial Endowed Scholarship is more than just financial support—it is a tribute to Luke's spirit and a celebration of the incredible strength that defines the Aggie community. Our wish is for this gift to empower students to overcome obstacles and make a meaningful impact, just as Luke aspired to do,” Robert said. “It’s about encouraging all of us to grow in our capacities and using our lives in stewardship.”
Being the driven and curious man he was, Luke participated in several organizations and explored many interests. He was a Cub Scout throughout elementary school and a Boy Scout through middle and high school. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout. His father, Robert, said his experience in scouting helped Luke through his cancer treatments, recalling that he always stayed strong and positive. “I never heard him complain, even as his condition worsened, and the pain and agony began to take over. Not once did he complain.”
Through this scholarship, the Morse family aims to help engineering students who embody the Aggie Spirit and want to contribute to the community.
“We want the Luke Morse Memorial Scholarship to be a beacon for those who earn it to LIVE LIFE BOLD,” Shelia said. Robert added, “We want this scholarship to represent a commitment of deliberately growing into the capacity we all have to make a difference and to matter in life, unafraid of taking measured risks over playing it safe. It is about confidently living a life well spent in service and stewardship to the communities we are a part of. That’s what it means to live boldly. To know what is truth, to know who you are, to live with integrity and to go for it!”
Embodying the Aggie spirit that Luke cherished, and the Aggie community demonstrated, the Morse family hopes to support students throughout their education at Texas A&M.
“We deeply miss Luke,” said Robert. “He left us far too soon, and his spirit lives on, in part, through this scholarship. We hope it helps deserving students achieve their goals in life so they can carry the torch to live boldly in the face of life’s uncertainties and strive for their own growth, making meaningful contributions throughout their lives and far beyond their time as students at Texas A&M.”
How to give
Endowments supporting students in the college have an immeasurable impact on their education. If you are interested in supporting the College of Engineering and its departments or would like more information on how you can give, please contact one of our development officers.