A Global Family of Spiders

Though Rebecca “Becky” Trader had no biological children, 27 Spider alumni proudly call her “Mama Becky.” The alums are all international students who were hosted by Trader as part of UR’s Host Family Program.

Trader initially got involved with UR because her husband, Edwin “Ed” Trader, was a 1960 graduate. In 1994, they attended a meeting for prospective host families and immediately got involved by hosting several students from Africa and the Caribbean.

Ed passed away in 1996, but Trader continued hosting on her own, with the students becoming an integral part of her life and helping heal her grief. That year, she established the J. Edwin Trader Fund, which provides resources so that UR’s international students can learn more about the U.S. by attending cultural and historical events and activities. She went on to welcome host students from nearly 15 countries across four continents.

Marybe Assouan, ’05, from the Ivory Coast, was no. 19 of Trader’s host children. “Mama Becky had said she was done at 18,” she said. “But then one of her current host students who had gone to high school with me convinced her to take me, too. After that, word of mouth kept spreading, and she ended up having 27 total.”

The Host Family Program pairs international students with UR alumni, faculty, and staff as volunteer hosts, said Michele Cox, senior advisor and partner manager in International Education. The students live on campus and interact with their hosts regularly through activities such as holiday gatherings, family dinners, shopping, and sporting and cultural events.

Assouan said Trader helped students learn about and adapt to U.S. culture while providing a familial safety net. “She helped us prepare for internships and bought us each our own monogrammed stationary to write thank you notes,” she said. “She even took us crabbing at her river house. She made sure that we all felt connected as one family.”

There are many great host family stories, Cox said, but few “rock stars” like Trader. “It’s extremely meaningful for international students to have these educational and personal growth experiences,” she said. “Becky gave them those experiences and loved them all tremendously.”

Now a tax senior manager at EY, Assouan remained in Richmond after graduating and became very close with Trader, visiting her regularly and attending family events together. When Trader became sick unexpectedly in late 2023, Assouan rallied her host siblings to visit her at the hospital.

Sadly, Trader died in February 2024. Assouan connected all of Trader’s “children” with her surviving family members to plan a heartfelt memorial celebration. The alums also organized a memorial fundraiser and collected more than $7,500, which was used to make a gift to the Trader Fund and purchase memorial pavers honoring the couple in UR’s Columbarium and Memorial Garden.

“The gift is a wonderful way of continuing the Trader legacy by supporting their love of international students and their desire to help students experience historical and cultural events,” said Krittika Onsanit, director of international student and scholar services, who has managed the Trader Fund and Host Family Program since 2000.

“We wanted to do something true to our values as a token of appreciation for all Mama Becky did for us,” Assouan said. “What better way to do that than to invest in a cause that was meaningful to her and us?”