Diamond of the week: Courtney Tkacs

Our sister, Courtney Tkacs, served as the Student Body Vice President during the 2024-2025 school year. She thrived in the position and later announced her candidacy for Student Body President. Courtney campaigned, met with fellow students, voiced her ideas, and later won the Presidency on March 5, 2025. Our chapter could not be more proud of Courtney and we are so excited to see her lead our University. We will be alongside her every step of the way! We asked Courtney to share her story of Student Government, ADPi, and how they correlate to one another!

"Coming to South Carolina was such a huge adjustment for me. Even though I only live about 20

minutes away, all of my high school friends chose to go to different schools, so I felt like I was

starting completely fresh. From the beginning, I knew I wanted to find a group where I could

surround myself with people who shared my passion for giving back and serving others. That’s

what led me to Student Government.

I joined Freshman Council and was lucky to be surrounded by an amazing group of students. I

remember looking up to the upperclassmen who were creating real change on campus and

thinking, “That’s who I want to be someday.” That’s also when I first met Emmie Thompson. As a

freshman, I saw in her everything I aspired to be: driven, hardworking, and most importantly, a

servant leader. Watching her lead with such humility, especially during her campaign and at the

start of her term, gave me my first real glimpse into what it meant to be an ADPi.

That summer, even though I loved what I was doing, I still felt like something was missing. So,

going into my sophomore year, I decided to go through formal recruitment. I kept an open mind

and trusted that I’d end up exactly where I was meant to be—just like our Pi Chis told us. The

moment I walked into the ADPi house,I knew I was home. Every girl I talked to genuinely

embodied what it means to be a servant leader, and I just couldn’t see myself anywhere else.

Emmie ended up rushing me during Pref Round and read me the sweetest letter, which I still

have pinned up in my office to this day.

Emmie, and so many other ADPis, were a big part of why I felt confident enough to run for Vice

President, and now, President. As VP, I focused on programming events that mattered: campus

safety, mental health, and civic engagement. One of the things I’m most proud of was planning

the Walk-a-Thon with the Interfraternity Council, where we raised over $27,000 for suicide

prevention.

Now, as Student Body President, I want to keep pushing those same priorities forward. But I

also want to focus on improving infrastructure, academics, advising, and making sure every

student feels like they’re getting the full Carolina experience.

I’m endlessly grateful for the sisterhood and support I’ve found in ADPi. It’s carried me through

so many of the highs and the challenges that come with this role. I can’t wait to keep serving my

sisters and the entire USC community."

Courtney Tkacs, AC '23