When Keiko Price reflects on her NCAA career, she describes it with one word: sacrifice.
For her, that sacrifice was a conscious choice she made repeatedly to excel both academically and athletically, profoundly influencing her life's direction.
"I sacrificed a lot to accomplish what I was able to at UCLA," Price shared, recalling conscious decisions to forgo late nights, indulgent foods and social events to achieve excellence.
Born in New York and raised in Hawaii, Price developed her love for swimming early. This love was fueled by her family's support and her father's athletic background as a college basketball player at Hawaii. Despite the financial and logistical challenges of traveling from Hawaii to compete at elite mainland swimming events, Price's determination only grew stronger.
At UCLA, Price initially pursued communications, hoping to enter broadcast journalism. However, she soon found herself drawn to African American studies.
"I had taken some African American history and English courses to satisfy general education requirements and really, really enjoyed the courses, enjoyed the instructors and just fell in love with the material," she said. "Part of it was because I didn't really get a lot of that knowledge growing up in Hawaii. I'm half African American, so I wanted to learn more about that part of my history."
Price's academic curiosity matched her discipline in swimming, quickly translating into exceptional results. She earned double-digit All-America honors, captured the Pac-10 Conference title in the 100-yard freestyle in 1999, and won gold on a U.S. relay at the World University Games in 1997. Her collegiate career was highlighted by 26 first-place finishes as a freshman and breaking five UCLA swimming records, achievements that led to her induction into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021.
Yet among these numerous accolades, receiving an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship stood out as a pivotal moment.
"Receiving the scholarship encouraged me to return to academia," she said. "I give the NCAA a lot of credit for where I am today. When I graduated from UCLA, I wasn't quite sure what that next step was going to be. I didn't make the Olympic team, so I was trying to decide, am I going to continue to train? Am I going to just work? And I remember my senior year exploring job opportunities, part-time jobs and just really not having a sense of direction. And when I received the award, it really forced me to think critically about going back to school."
Price used the scholarship to earn her master's degree in higher education at California, aligning her career with her passion for mentoring student-athletes. A graduate assistant role at California sparked her interest in athletics administration, laying the foundation for her impressive career trajectory.
"That opportunity paved the way for me to be exposed to the ins and outs of collegiate athletics," she said. "And I really think it's because of the opportunities that the NCAA provides in continuing education."
Since November 2020, Price has served as associate vice president and director of athletics at Emory, a Division III school. Her leadership has brought remarkable successes, including multiple national championships, double-digit conference titles and significant advancements in student-athlete well-being and inclusion. Under her guidance, Emory created impactful student-athlete identity groups for Black, Asian and Pacific Islander, LGBTQ, and women student-athletes. She also prioritized mental health by introducing initiatives like the Eagle Edge program and appointing a dedicated mental health clinician. Additionally, Price spearheaded Emory's innovative partnership with INFLCR to support and educate student-athletes in understanding name, image and likeness opportunities.
"I really get to use my skills and my experiences to enhance the student-athlete experience here at Emory. Our athletes come to Emory to compete at a high level, and they're here really because of the love of their sport. They don't get athletic scholarships. They pay their own tuition, and so they are here to compete because they love it," she said. "It's a wonderful job. I've got great staff, great colleagues and great athletes that I get to see every day."
In recognition of her ongoing impact, Price was honored with theNCAA Silver Anniversary Award as part of the 2025 class. She joined such esteemed previous UCLA recipients as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Gail Devers.
Reflecting on her journey, Price recognizes the lasting influence of her UCLA experience on her professional and personal life.
"I went to UCLA on my recruiting trip and enjoyed it so much that I ended up canceling recruiting trips at other institutions because I knew it was the right fit, and it ended up being a great experience for me," she said. "Those four years were very critical and important for my future."