Riley Fay earned a Bachelor's in Political & Social Thought and History from UVA in 2025. At UVA, she was interested in the role the intersection of religion, politics, and history plays in contemporary American politics. She enjoyed taking classes that explained perspectives beyond those she experienced growing up in rural Virginia, particularly in the Religious Studies department. Since her first year at UVA, Riley was involved with Challah for Hunger and in her final year served as VP of Baking.