Carson's Standard
- Carson always gave more than he received.
- Carson did not like himself or anyone else being wronged – doing the right thing was vital to him.
- Carson had an uncanny ability to sense the needs of those around him and respond accordingly.
- Carson looked at the world around him and saw limitless possibilities.
- Carson lived his life with urgency.
Carson was born in Austin, Texas on April 17, 1990; he was a third generation graduate of Stephen F. Austin High School. He left this life on December 2, 2008 following a fraternity initiation ritual where he was compelled to drink large quantities of alcohol. After becoming unresponsive, Sigma Alpha Epsilon members put Carson in a vehicle to take him to the hospital but ultimately abandoned the trip for fear of getting themselves and their fraternity in trouble. They returned to the house and left Carson on a mattress, he never woke up. Carson died—unresponsive, unmonitored, and abandoned on a mattress. He died from acute alcohol poisoning; his blood alcohol level was .40.
In such a short life, Carson accomplished much. He looked at the world around him and saw limitless possibilities. He approached life with a practical tenacity that led him to pursue every path that caught his interest with vigor, intelligence and an uncanny intuition. At the young age of three, he first took to the streets on his bike. His cycling culminated in numerous state, national, and international races but he most enjoyed the rides spent with his family. In high school, he lettered four years on the Austin High tennis team while also running on the cross-country team his freshman and sophomore years then playing lacrosse his junior and senior years. Carson began running in races and events around Austin at the age of 6, competing in the Capital 10K nine times. He once completed the Capital 10K and a mountain bike race back-to-back on the same day. His love for architecture led him to intern at Page Sutherland Page during high school. He then attended Cal Poly State University where he was majoring in architectural engineering.
Equally, his love for the outdoors resulted in building miles of hike and bike trails in the Texas Hill Country, working on a small farm in Colorado, and trekking part of the Silver Trail in Copper Canyon, Mexico. He enjoyed traveling with his family - whether on ski trips to Colorado, to tennis tournaments across Texas or learning how to simply relax on the beaches of Jamaica. He earned his Chief with pride at Camp Stewart in Hunt, TX, attended Outpost Wilderness Adventure in Colorado - developing his skills as an adventure guide - and volunteered for many causes around Austin and in Mexico. On top of all of this, he graduated in the top 10% of his high school class, served on the Austin High Hall of Honor Leaders Council, and made the Dean's List at Cal Poly State University. In a word, Carson was a full-blown participant in life.
His varied life experiences, good nature and positive outlook led him to develop a wide variety of close friends from all over the country. He was equally comfortable sitting around the campfire with the old folks, getting down in the dirt with the little kids or experiencing Austin with his buddies. He was forever bolstered by a strong family that consistently played, worked, laughed, cried and lived together. He was a best friend with his brother and parents, well grounded, realistic, hard working, fun and compassionate. In every relationship, he gave more than he received. Carson will always be remembered by family and friends as a shining example of the right way to live and love this life.
