Boy Ate Alone at School Each Day—Then Dawn Staley Showed Up and Left Everyone Speechless
Every day, 12-year-old Jacob Marshall sat alone in the school cafeteria, his tray of food untouched as he quietly endured the isolation that had become his routine. Bullied by his peers and struggling to make friends, Jacob’s story seemed invisible to most—until it reached someone who refused to ignore it: Dawn Staley, a basketball legend and coach known for her leadership on and off the court.
The story began when Jacob’s mother, heartbroken over her son’s loneliness, posted on social media about his struggles. She described how her bright, kind-hearted boy was excluded by his classmates and how she felt powerless to help him. The post went viral, catching the attention of thousands—including Staley.
Moved by Jacob’s story, Dawn decided to take action. Without fanfare, she reached out to the family and arranged a surprise visit to Jacob’s school. What happened next left the entire school community stunned.
On an ordinary Tuesday, the cafeteria buzzed with the usual chatter and clatter of lunch trays. Jacob sat at his usual table, alone, when suddenly, the room fell silent. Dawn Staley had walked in, her commanding presence drawing everyone’s attention. As students and staff stared in disbelief, Dawn made her way to Jacob’s table and sat down beside him, greeting him warmly.
The two began talking, sharing laughs and stories over their lunch. Dawn asked Jacob about his interests and told him how much his bravery inspired her. “I heard you’re pretty amazing,” she said, her words bringing a shy smile to Jacob’s face.
But Dawn didn’t stop there. After lunch, she addressed the students in an impromptu assembly, speaking about the importance of kindness and inclusion. She challenged them to reflect on their actions and create a more welcoming environment for everyone.
The impact was immediate. Students who had once ignored Jacob began reaching out to him, sitting with him at lunch, and including him in activities. Dawn’s visit not only transformed Jacob’s experience but sparked a cultural shift at the school.
Today, Jacob no longer eats alone, and his mother says he’s happier than ever. Dawn Staley’s simple act of kindness became a powerful reminder of the difference one person can make—and how every child deserves to feel seen and valued.
Everything Dawn Staley said previewing South Carolina’s upcoming game against LSU
South Carolina head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley spoke to the media on Thursday to preview the team’s upcoming matchup against No. 5 LSU. Here’s everything she had to say.
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On how South Carolina’s players are handling rivalry game against LSU
“It’s a rivalry. It’s a game that we must win, obviously, because we only play them once, and you want the tiebreak advantage. But it’s still just a game. Win or lose, every goal that you have is still in front of you. It makes it a little bit harder, especially when it comes to our conference. So, (I’m) glad it’s at home.”
On whether the Gamecocks’ and Tigers’ most recent matchup adds extra fire to Friday’s game
“Obviously, we brought it to their attention. We feel like the officiating is going to be on it at the start of the game. Some of the things that we did in that game, we’re not going to be able to do; some of the things that they did, they’re not going to be able to do. So, for us, it’s about adjusting to how the officiating is going to be.
“It’s probably going to be tight. It would (be tight), if I’m the coordinator of officials. But I don’t think our teams are in that place or in that headspace.”
On what is different about this year’s LSU’s team
“They do all the same things. I think (LSU head women’s basketball coach) Kim (Mulkey) does a great job. She loses a player to graduation or (the) WNBA (and) inserts another player. She plays her same style, which has been very good and successful.
“For us, we got to do the same thing. The things that we’ve built our success on, it has to be on display tomorrow night.”
On the anticipation behind this year’s South Carolina-LSU game and what it means for the sport
“But it’s awesome for our sport. It’s awesome for our league. It’s awesome to be able to participate in rivalry games. Hopefully, we won’t disappoint by putting some great basketball out there on the floor.”
[Win tickets: South Carolina-Auburn WBB]
On how LSU competes until the final buzzer in games
“I mean, that’s who they are. They’re not going to come in here, think we’re going to walk all over them. I think their M.O. is coming in here wanting to win, wanting to silence the crowd and continuing to be undefeated. For us, we’re just the opposite end of the spectrum.”
On facing Mulkey in a “heavyweight” coaching matchup
“Kim’s right – it’s all about player execution. We can diagram plays; we can have a game plan. If it isn’t executed, you can still win without them executing. Your will has to be a little bit better than their will on that day. Your execution has to be whatever it is, whether it’s what coaches have come up with or just players have to make plays.”
On stopping Aneesah Morrow
“I mean, you really can’t stop her ( Aneesah Morrow ) – (scoring and rebounding) is what she does. I think you have to find ways in which to make it hard for her to score – that’s one. And then, you got to gain rebounds. You got to gang box out. That’s about will and positioning and, hopefully, making her play on the other side of the ball. She can’t just do what she does best and be able to rest on the defensive side of the ball. So, we got to make her play on both ends. We got enough bigs that will give her different looks to make her play.”
On how South Carolina has stopped the country’s best offenses
“I mean, it’s our defense. It’s our willingness to get stops, our willingness to disrupt, our willingness to not give teams what they want to do best. LSU wants to play in transition; LSU wants to execute in ball-screen offense. And they want to execute winning the battle of the boards. So, if we take care of those three things, I think it puts us in a really good place.”
On what South Carolina has done well in recent dominant performances
“We had incredible focus – like, really good focus on how we’re guarding, good focus on emphasis. These teams have been good in transition; we’ve done a really good job at forcing them to play in the half-court. We have to do that tomorrow night. And I think we’ve been able to put points on the scoreboard. We’ve been sharing the basketball; we’ve been taking care of the basketball. And we’ve been super competitive. When you’re doing all of those things, it puts you in a really good position.”
On whether “College GameDay’s” absence will affect excitement heading into Friday’s game
“Anytime you can promote our game, it’s going to be great. Being on “College GameDay” is a great thing. I think they’re going to miss out on some things not being here, right?
“So, no, we got to play the game. I got, probably, one less interview to do.”
