His life story reads like the jacket of a book: a young boy who comes from a poverty-stricken and abusive family in a gang-infested neighborhood achieves success both academically and athletically through hard work and perseverance. But, like any good story, that’s just the beginning.
Caylin Moore (photo courtesy of TCU Football)
Caylin Moore also is a 2016 Rhodes Scholar finalist.
The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship awards program in the world. Each year, the Rhodes Committee selects 32 students from more than 320 United States colleges and universities to attend the University of Oxford.
Rhodes Scholars represent outstanding academic achievements, a strong character, commitment to others and the common good, and potential for leadership. Moore exemplifies each of these characteristics – and then some.
Scheduled to graduate in May, Moore is majoring in economics in the AddRan College of Liberal Arts and minoring in mathematics and sociology. He is the founder of TCU S.P.A.R.K. (Strong Players Are Reaching Kids), an outreach organization that inspires local youth in the community and emphasizes the importance of education, and has rallied his NCAA football teammates to serve as role models for students attending elementary schools in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Moore’s an active volunteer with LaDanian Tomlinson’s Touching Lives Foundation, the Relationship Empowerment Affirmation Leadership (REAL) Skills Network and a frequent guest speaker at nonprofit and community groups. Moreover, Moore is a TCU Ronald E. McNair Program scholar, former finalist for the Truman Scholarship, one of the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarships, and is also a finalist for the 2016 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program, a program of the U.S. Department of State that encourages members of minority groups to join the Foreign Service.
“Caylin has the moral force of character needed to help change our world for the better. His determination, unselfishness and sensibility are paving the way for him to grow, explore, overcome and change,” said Dr. Ron Pitcock, J. Vaughn & Evelyne H. Wilson Honors Fellow and director of prestigious scholarships at TCU. “Being named a Rhodes Scholar provides transformative opportunities for exceptional students, and Caylin is deserving of such a possibility.”
Moore played four years of high school football, garnering numerous awards and recognition both on and off the field before beginning his college career at Marist College. He transferred to TCU in 2015 and has continued his legacy in the Horned Frog athletic record books: named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and selected as a 2016 Big 12 Conference Sports Person of the Year finalist, all while maintaining a 3.934 GPA.
“Caylin’s life experiences have forced him to think deeply about the world and his place as a leader,” said Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. “He believes in his power to influence change; he models courage in every activity he tackles, and he articulates a vision to make the most of his natural gifts.”
As a Rhodes Scholar finalist, Moore joins an elite group of TCU students, including Josh Simpson (’14) and Matthew Freedman (’06), recent TCU Rhodes Scholar finalists, and Pete Larson (’75), the university’s only Rhodes Scholar.