Emmabella Rudd – a COSSPP alumna (B.S. Public Health ‘22) – graduated with her M.S. in Health and the Public Interest from Georgetown University after completing an internship with the White House as a Policy Intern for the Vice President’s Policy Office.
Rudd served the Biden-Harris Administration as a Policy Intern for Vice President Harris in the fall of 2022. She authored policy memos for senior advisors to the Vice President in healthcare, climate, economics, technology, and foreign policy. She also assisted in researching and co-writing briefing memos, aided in researching relevant stakeholders and managing guests, and assisted in White House events, meetings, and staffed events at the Vice President’s residence.
“My time at the White House further exposed me to my longtime goal to pursue a career of service and change through politics, advocacy, and policy,” Rudd said. “Providing critical support to initiatives in the Vice President’s office allowed me to play a part in shaping the course of this country in other spaces outside of my previous experiences in advocacy, which exposed me to new growth opportunities and other areas of interest.”
Some of her favorite memories from the experience were celebrating the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act at the White House, attending the signing of the Marriage Equality Act on the South Lawn, and meeting Vice President Harris and speaking with her about insulin prices in the United States.
After graduating from Georgetown, she began her career at Booz Allen Hamilton as a Senior Consultant. Currently, she’s working on a contract under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, for the Health Insurance Marketplace.
While at FSU, Rudd hosted a TEDx Talk titled, “Diabetes Isn’t A Death Sentence, If You Can Afford It.” Rudd has raised over $350,000 for diabetes research. Rudd has been featured for her activism on insulin affordability on USA Today, CNBC, and Le Monde.
“My relationships, education, and involvement at Florida State were instrumental in preparing me for the next step in my educational career and beyond,” Rudd said. “The support and mentorship of FSU’s faculty, such as the Public Health program, the Office of National Fellowships, and the Center for Leadership & Service have been invaluable. They provided me with guidance, support, advice, and opportunities that have been crucial in helping me pursue my goals.”
While at Florida State University, Rudd was a Service Scholar, the Director of the FSU’s Office of Governmental Affairs, the Chapter Lead for the state of Florida’s #insulin4all T1International chapter, and was Miss South Tallahassee USA, advocating for diabetes health policy on the federal level through JDRF, a nonprofit that funds type 1 diabetes research.
She served as a Senator for the Florida State Student Senate, was a member of Delta Zeta, worked as a legislative intern at the Florida Senate, was a member of Students with Diabetes, and was a member of the Garnet and Gold Key Honorary.
She was a recipient of the International Diana Award, a Truman Scholar Finalist, the Jon C. Dalton Servant Leader Award, and a Torchbearer 100.
When asked what advice she would give to current students, Rudd said, “Don’t wait to dive into your passion and goals! Set up coffee chats and meet & greets with individuals who share similar interests and passions, or are in your desired role. Success comes in building a community and network, where we can exchange shared knowledge.”
Rudd has long-term plans to attend law school with aspirations to reform the U.S. healthcare system.
For more information about FSU’s Bachelor of Public Health program, click here: coss.fsu.edu/publichealth/undergraduate.