University of Richmond alum reflects on time as the inaugural Spider Fellow
When the University of Richmond created the Spider Fellow position in 2025, it wasn’t simply adding a line to an organizational chart. It was highlighting the enduring value of student leadership, even beyond graduation.
For Alfie Price, a 2025 graduate and former Richmond College Student Government Association (RCSGA) President, the role represents both continuity and evolution: a bridge between student involvement and institutional decision-making.
Price arrived at UR in August 2021 as a first-generation international student, unfamiliar with the inner workings of American higher education. Over the next four years, he immersed himself in student leadership and campus engagement. As graduation approached, an unexpected opportunity emerged: to remain at UR in a newly created role intended to bring a recent student perspective directly into administrative strategy.
“Like many graduating students, I was thinking carefully about what the next chapter would look like,” Price said. “There’s always some uncertainty in that transition.”
Moments of transition often invite reflection. At the same time, UR was considering a broader question: how might student leadership continue to inform institutional decision-making after commencement? The Spider Fellow emerged as one answer.
The role was developed within the Division of Student Development, led by Dr. Todd Adams.
“Our aim was to garner input from recent Spiders, leveraging their insights and understanding of the student experience, especially when considering new programs and policies,” Adams said. “The Spider Fellow allows that perspective to remain part of our institutional conversations.”
Since stepping into the role, Price has worked alongside senior leaders on strategic planning initiatives, program reviews, survey data analysis, major campus projects such as Homecoming and Family Weekend, and broader efforts centered on the student experience.
Throughout, he says, his focus has remained consistent: elevating student voices in rooms where decisions are made. “Serving as the inaugural Spider Fellow has been both a privilege and a responsibility,” Price said. “Richmond places real value on listening to students. At its core, the role helps the student experience remain closely connected to institutional priorities as decisions are made.”
He added that gaining insight into the university’s “behind-the-scenes” operations has only deepened his appreciation for the people who make UR function each day.
“I’m reminded daily of the care and intentionality that both staff and faculty bring to their work,” Price said. “There’s a real commitment to supporting students not just academically, but holistically. Seeing that up close has strengthened my sense of pride in this place.”
“As the inaugural term progresses, I’ve become even more convinced of the value this role can bring to Richmond,” Price said. “I’m excited to see how the role continues to evolve and who will carry it forward.”