Rotem Raz – FSU alumnus (B.S. International Affairs ’23) – hosted the first Israel Day at the Florida Capitol on February 29, 2024.
The initiative gathered Israeli business leaders, nonprofits, student movements, and industry leaders from across the state to celebrate Israel’s relationship with the state of Florida during two days of programming.
The event hosted 2 survivors of the Nova Music Festival Massacre, Millet Ben Haim and Rom El-Hai where they were invited to attend a sit down meeting with First Lady, Casey DeSantis to share their stories and discuss the tragic events of October 7th. There was also a bipartisan resolution filed in both the House (HR 8045) and Senate (SR 1826) and Senate Chambers.
Raz collaborated with the Israeli Consulate in Miami and NolePac, a student group that aims to strengthen the U.S.-Israeli relationship through educating leaders on campus who can influence the community at large.
“Advocating on behalf of students and higher education has always been one of my passions,” Raz said. “It’s pretty unique to be able to listen to students and say, ‘This is what needs to be done,’ and do it.”
As president of NolePac from 2022-2023, Raz organized the first NolePac trip to the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C., where members met with Omer Haim, Israel’s Ministry of Defense U.S. Representative. She also organized lobbying workshops for students to meet with and learn from some of the top firms in the state.
“I chose to attend FSU because it gave me the one-of-a-kind opportunity to start building my career while I was still in school,” said Raz. “You can’t put a price on being in such close proximity to the Capitol.”
During her time at FSU, Raz majored in international affairs with a minor in philosophy of law and earned an Undergraduate Certificate in U.S. Intelligence Studies. She was also involved in research and logistics for the Office of Governmental Affairs (OGA) and served as the external affairs director for Noles for Israel.
Now, Raz works as a finance consultant at Ross Consulting, presenting a unique background in stakeholder relations, event management, and campaign finance. She has been active in the Florida political orbit through her time working with Governor Ron DeSantis’s re-election team in the 2022 cycle, as well as statewide Israel advocacy through several non-profits and political action committees.
She was named in the Spring 2024 issue of INFLUENCE Magazine as a “Rising Star in FL Politics.”
Raz credits her successes to her positive experiences at Florida State and continues her involvement with NolePac and the Jewish Alumni Network.
“FSU’s International Affairs Program gave me the opportunity to really understand the history and inner workings of United States foreign policy both with our allies and adversaries,” Raz said. “Throughout my time in the program, every professor I had showed expert knowledge and passion for their field; this created an environment where students felt comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance on their path to success.”
For more information on FSU’s International Affairs Program, visit coss.fsu.edu/polisci.