Gamecock women's basketball coach Dawn Staley is the 2017 honorary member of USC's oldest honor society, Omicron Delta Kappa. She was inducted Wednesday alongside 28 students.
Rather than speak to her own achievements, Staley praised the accomplishments of student inductees in her address to the crowd.
"You are being recognized because you are making a difference here on campus," she said.
Known for her intensity and competitiveness on the court as both a player and a coach, she encouraged students to define their own approach to leadership based on their personality.
"As I reflect back on my evolution as a leader and qualities that experts say make a great leader, I've discovered that most leaders aren't born with leadership qualities, and that everyone has the ability to lead, you just have to want to," Staley said. "My personality and industry dictated my leadership qualities, and yours should do the same."
Staley isn't the first Gamecock athletics star to receive this honor. Ray Tanner, national championship winning-coach turned athletics director, was inducted in 2016. And Staley's fellow Naismith Hall of Fame member Frank McGuire was an honorary member during his time as USC's men's basketball coach in the 1970s.
University President Harris Pastides and first lady Patricia Moore-Pastides are also honorary members of USC's ODK chapter, along with other prominent state and university officials.
For ODK president Emily Dunn, a fourth-year finance, risk management and insurance student, Staley was an obvious choice for "honoris causa" inductee.
"We really thought it would be a perfect honor for us to offer to Coach Staley as she did bring home the national championship for our women's basketball team this past spring ... Coach Staley was just the most obvious and clear choice," she said.
Still, Dunn hopes that each of the 29 inductees walked away from the ceremony proud of their achievement.
"These are really involved leaders on campus, [they're] really impacting a lot of positive change for students," she said.