Memorial honors the lives of deceased students

Ali Cameron met her friend Oeshae Morgan on the first day of her freshman year. Morgan quickly became known as the “mama” of the  Spanish class they were in.

“I’d come to Spanish class every day, and she’d give me a dirty look because I was five minutes late,” Cameron said.

Cameron spoke in an interview that followed a memorial service for Morgan, who would have been a senior this year, and Rob Vega, who graduated last spring and planned to start classes at Pitt’s School of Law this year. Between 100 and 150 people, almost all students, attended the service, which was held in Heinz Memorial Chapel from 6 to 7 p.m.

Both Morgan and Vega passed away over the summer. Vega, who was 22, passed away after a rafting accident early last July in Ohiopyle State Park. Morgan, who would have turned 21 on July 14, was interning in Spain at the time she passed away earlier that same month.

Taylor Staiger, a friend of Vega who graduated from Pitt last year and now works in Pitt’s Office of the Provost, said she worked with Dean of Students Kathy Humphrey and Linda Williams-Moore, director of the Office of Cross-Cultural and Leadership Development, to organize the service.

Angelique Strothers, coordinator for young adult and campus ministries at the Macedonia Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, read Morgan’s and Vega’s biographies to a subdued congregation.

Vega, whose family lives in Lancaster, Pa., earned a degree in psychology and political science. Vega’s parents, Rob and Mary, made the four-hour drive to Pittsburgh for the service.

Staiger said that Vega planned to become an immigration attorney. She also said that, through the scholarships that have been set up in his name, he will still get to help people.

“Just not the way we all thought,” she said wistfully.

Brent Hill, a friend of Vega who graduated last year, told the congregation that Vega worked full-time last summer, but when he took breaks at work, he would help Hill apply to graduate programs by looking at Hill’s application essays.

“[Vega was] a perfect model of what it means to be truly selfless,” Hill said.

Morgan, whose family lives in Washington, D.C., was majoring in political science and economics. Since age 10, she’d dreamed of becoming a lawyer or politician.

In addition to studying abroad in Spain, Morgan had takenpart in the Pitt in London program.

Jeff Whitehead, director of Pitt’s Study Abroad Office, said that he asked students who knew Morgan for stories about her. Although he found no shortage of stories from those who knew her, certain characteristics shined through all of them.

“She had a great and tremendous sense of what was right and what was fair,” Whitehead said.

He also described her as someone who had a “lust for life.”

Cameron, a junior, read a poem written by two of Morgan’s other friends. The poem includes phrases such as, “Outstanding towards her companions” and single words, including “supportive” and “independent.”

Cameron said that Morgan’s family chose not to attend the service, which coincided with a football game in which one of Morgan’s younger brothers was playing.

“Because that’s what Oeshae would have wanted,” she said.

Fr. Joshua Kibler, a chaplain at the Ryan Catholic Newman Center located on Bayard Street, read scripture and quoted C.S. Lewis’ “The Weight of Glory” before he closed with a prayer. 

Humphrey told students not to forget that they are all part of a community.

Tory Sher, who worked with Vega as part of the Pitt Pathfinders — a group on campus that gives tours to perspective students — said that she and Vega used to joke that they were not friends outside of work.

“But we both knew that wasn’t true,” she said. “The friendships Rob made were genuine.”