2018 Tillman Scholar
As the daughter of a career Army Officer, Erin felt compelled towards a life of service from a young age. A collaborative person at heart, working as a member of a team, in the pursuit of shared goals was the highlight of Erin’s time spent on active duty.
While serving at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Erin worked closely with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Department of State to provide relief and support to Syrian refugees. She met Syrians who had to choose to leave their families, their homes everything they owned, not knowing if they would ever return. These people put a human face on the Syrian conflict and reminded Erin of the very real stakes when diplomacy fails. Erin’s motivation to create effective policy is rooted in the desire to serve even the least among us; we are all human and we are all entitled to a basic level of dignity.
Erin is pursuing a Master of Public Policy from Duke University with a concentration in National Security Policy and a certificate in International Development. In an age of limited resources and competing priorities, Erin feels strongly that our country must ensure it approaches national security through the lenses of diplomacy and defense (and development) from the very onset. We can no longer afford to stovepipe the planning process or hastily attempt coordination after the fact. Erin is passionate about finding collaborative solutions to today’s national security issues.