Guy Burke's 2019 passing set in motion a scholarship program that has already supported fifteen engineering students this year.
Burke grew up in Taylorsville, North Carolina, and first enrolled at NC State in 1953, drawn by his fascination with aircraft. A 1955 family tragedy forced him to pause studies, and he later worked as a draftsman for the state highway department before rejoining the campus after two years of Army service at Fort Sill.
In 1997, Burke reached out to the College of Engineering to earmark part of his estate for students, a plan he refined over months. His brother David, executor of the will, worked with the university’s Office of Gift Planning to establish the Burke Endowment, which officially launched in 2020.
For the 2025‑26 academic year, the endowment has awarded scholarships to fifteen students spanning all graduating classes. Angela Sarahi Hernandez, a sophomore in 2028, said the funds let her attend full‑time, deepening her focus on research.
NC State will review the endowment’s performance in 2026 and may expand the number of recipients as funding allows.