Testimonials

I would encourage any pastor out there to invite Emma Rudkin to your services. Her story is real, practical, relevant & powerful. Your church will love what she brings. Her life experience & true faith in God will inspire the lives of your all in attendance. I guarantee if you invite Emma you won’t regret it.

I didn’t have a role model when I was younger, didn’t have anyone to look up to or to show me that it was OK to be different, that it was OK to not have ears that worked. I shamefully hid that which I felt was an abomination, and I suffered for years in anger, frustration, depression and isolation. Emma is the role model I wished I’d had. She is hope for the future, a realistic and approachable role model for children, teens and young adults who perhaps feel they have no one in their corner. She is living proof that hearing loss can be part of you, can define you, but does not have to control you.

Inspirational. Emma is a total rock star! She is abounding in grace and beauty – public speaking is definitely one of her gifts! The way that Emma connected with our young adult students with disabilities, and livened the crowd was inspirational! She was real and authentic in her presence, all the while she painted a vivid picture of her journey, captivating our hearts. In her deliverance, we were reminded that nothing is impossible, and we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. She spoke with conviction and passion, full of sincerity and excitement. She was generous with her time, and never made anyone to feel rushed – during Q&A she answered every last question (45 minutes later!). She even honored a song request and sang her favorite Christmas song for (and with) the audience! Emma is a vibrant spirit, and a total blessing to Providence Place. We are so glad for the chance to know her, and can’t wait until she comes back!

Emma Rudkin was a wonderful keynote speaker for San Antonio Independent Living Services (SAILS) 25th Annual Americans with Disabilities Act celebration in July 2015 at the downtown campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio. Ms. Rudkin is a very professional and charismatic speaker who really knows how to convey a compelling story. At the same time, she is humble and relates to the community. She is a natural and authentic speaker for any occasion!

Hearing Emma’s story about hearing loss, and knowing that she was crowned Miss San Antonio was a huge inspiration to my daughter, Erin. Erin’s story prompted Emma to create the #ShowYourAids campaign. In addition to helping raise funds for her nonprofit organization, Aid the Silent, this campaign also allowed those affected by hearing loss to make a statement. It created a confidence in Erin that she did not have before. Erin gained the courage to tell her friends and started wearing hearing aids on a daily basis. Emma’s story and influence were able to create a change of heart in my daughter that I’m not sure I could have ever done as her mother. Emma Rudkin has made a huge difference in the life of my daughter, and I am truly thankful for that. Emma is a smart and amazing young woman. She has an impressive resume for someone so young and I know that she is going to continue to impact many lives, just as she did for my daughter Erin.

Emma is gifted at explaining the Gospel to high school students in a way that makes Jesus interesting and relevant to their lives. She can explain complex truths with simplicity and grace. I love watching Emma give club talks to students at Boerne Young Life. She is thoughtful with her words, wonderfully engaging, and poised beyond her years. Because Emma speaks with such passion and conviction, high school students are quickly drawn in and interested in the person of Jesus Christ whom she loves to speak about!

I learned Emma Faye was Miss San Antonio 2015 but even more intriguing, she was hard of hearing, something I could relate. I came across an interview she had done for a magazine where she spoke about this deep love and compassion she has for Jesus. I expected to hear about how fun it must be to reign as Miss San Antonio and the places she gets to see. What I heard instead was of a dark time in her life where she felt isolated and depressed, I could relate to this in my own way at several different times in my life.
Emma Faye poured her heart out about her darkest hours where the Lord drew nearer to her and pulled her out of the dark with the light of the sun that rose every morning. She states in the interview a prayer that she said before she ever rose from her bed, “Lord, as the light shines through the window, let your joy come into my heart again.” This statement spoke volumes to me. She continues on to say that she realized she had become distant from God, that her relationship wasn’t what it once was. How difficult it is to openly admit that as a Christian, we still stray away from God.
She is unbelievably humble and has made a commitment to share with the world what the Lord has done in her life. I have heard Emma speak a few times in person since this interview, I was able to sit back and observe her. The same passion and humility I heard in her words during the interview were what I encountered when I met her in person. She is vibrant and glowing and she gives God all the Glory. The Lord has a message and He’s using Emma Faye to share it!