Price McGiffert, a junior studying civil engineering and the SGA vice president of external affairs, decided he wanted to be a part of SGA before he even arrived at The University of Alabama.
“After serving as SGA president in high school, I knew that I wanted to be involved in SGA at Alabama,” McGiffert said. “Growing up in Tuscaloosa, I had the opportunity to hear and see former SGA presidents throughout the year, and SGA members all on campus while I was visiting campus.”
McGiffert first got involved with SGA through First Year Council his freshman year. Later he served on the Senate Committee throughout his sophomore year, and currently works as the vice president for external affairs.
“I truly love The University of Alabama, I’m passionate about serving it to the best of my ability, so it’s critical to me that my college experience encompasses more than just classwork,” McGiffert said. “I believe that every student on campus is united by the common goal of obtaining greater knowledge, so I want to give back to the University and the surrounding community.”
As vice president for external affairs and a member of Capstone Men and Women, McGiffert has a strong background in academics, leadership and service.
“Serving in these capacities has really provided me with the knowledge, experience, track record and network to be a successful student body president,” McGiffert said. “It has given me the time to plan to enact initiatives that will benefit our students at the capstone and continue to move our university forward in a progressive and inclusive way.”
Mollie Gillis, who serves as vice president for student affairs with SGA, said she has confidence in McGiffert after working with him throughout the year.
“I absolutely believe that Price is the most qualified candidate and will do the best job once he is in office,” Gillis said. “I’ve seen him work on numerous projects throughout this year, and he has devoted his time to improving campus for all students in a way that I have seen few people do. Price is someone who has great attention to detail but can also see the forest from the trees.”
Gillis has worked together with McGiffert on many projects while on the Executive Board this year.
“Price is good at balancing both the depth and breadth that he puts into all of projects,” Gillis said. “For example, he was extremely helpful to me when I was putting on my domestic violence prevention training. We’ve had a lot of projects that we’ve worked on together. We’ve been to meetings on campus safety and lighting and he always comes prepared. He knows exactly what he wants to accomplish and he really has the well being of every student in mind for every single project that he does.”
If voted into office, McGiffert hopes to tackle complex issues that he believes are important to improving the campus for students. McGiffert said he hopes to continue his work that he started this year.
“I understand the responsibilities that come with the office,” McGiffert said. “Because of this, I want to change the stigma associated with aspects like mental health, sexual assault, ethics in SGA and on and off-campus safety. I want to make sure that students here at the Capstone, can have the best experience they could possibly have and I want to create a degree of understanding that will enable and empower students to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way.”
Ross D’Entremont, who serves as the vice president for academic affairs with SGA, said McGiffert is suited for office next year.
“I think Price is one of the nicest people you could ever meet at The University of Alabama,” D’Entremont said. “The reason why that is one of the first things that comes to mind is because I feel that often, SGA people can seem unapproachable, they can seem lofty. Price is not like that, Price is very down to earth, he would do anything for anybody and he really cares. I think that is the biggest impression that I have of Price.”
D’Entremont said approachability isn’t McGiffert’s only leadership quality, citing McGiffert’s ability to gain consensus among his peers.
“When Price sets his mind to something, not only is he able to work hard, he also works smart,” D’Entremont said. “He has a phenomenal network not just in this community, but throughout the state. Price has a way of bringing people together on issues on which they can agree. He can find the things on which we all agree and work to bring those goals to fruition.”
Ultimately, McGiffert said his first priority is the students and that they are the driving force behind his campaign.
“I have the passion, experience and drive behind my actions to enhance our college experience,” said McGiffert. “If students will stand with me, then we can help make The University of Alabama better together.”
