March 9, 2003 — May 18, 2023

Sam was an all-around remarkable human being.
“Looking back on our friendship, he never once talked bad about anyone,” kinesiology junior Kate Morsbach said. “That’s truly one of the greatest things, to have that mindset that everyone is good in their own way.”
After meeting sophomore year of high school, Sam helped Morsbach find a balance between school and life, Morsbach said, and she’ll forever thank him for that.
“If I’m ever contemplating going out with my friends or just doing something that doesn’t involve working, I’ll always say yes because I know that’s what he would do,” Morsbach said.
Last summer, Sam was a counselor at Camp Ozark Texas, or OTX, after being a camper for nine years, his mother Angela Jackson said. It was at Camp Ozark that university studies junior Luke Szczepanski met Sam, who became his best friend.
“He was loyal. He always had my back,” Szczepanski said. “[He was] funny, just kind of laid-back. At first, he would seem shy to people, a little reserved, but once you really got to know him, he was the funniest person I knew.”
Szczepanski said Sam was passionate about basketball, school and listening to music.
“Whenever a speaker was playing, it was always Sam,” Szczepanski said. “He’d always be listening to music, doing homework just nonstop, and he would figure out new music before it even came out. He did really love music.”
Angela said Integrity was the Aggie Core Value Sam embodied the most.
“He cared that other people felt comfortable and were included,” Angela said. “ … I think he did the right thing when nobody was looking.”
While attending Texas A&M, Sam was involved in petroleum engineering groups, as well as Kappa Sigma fraternity, Angela said.
“He loved those [fraternity] men, and they were great, upstanding, loyal friends to him,” Angela said. “And they had fun, I mean, in between the studying, they had a good time. And I think that’s important in college. It’s not all about studying.”
Sam was a thurifer at his hometown church for six years and led bible studies and devotionals at Camp OTX. Angela said you could tell his faith was important to him and deep.
“He was just all-around a remarkable person,” Angela said. “He looked for ways to help, and he did everything with a joyful heart. He made the world a better place.”