2021 Tillman Scholar

Lindsey Erdmann

Marine Corps
University of Minnesota
Master's

“Everyone has a right to safe housing. I will lead and co-create equitable, community-centered housing policies, so that all Minnesotans have stability and can cultivate positive change in their lives.”

Lindsey enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2010 as a lifelong learner, driven to obtain an undergraduate degree. While a Marine, Lindsey was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The military shaped Lindsey into who she is today; service-driven, resilient, and ambitious to guide change.

After uniformed service, Lindsey transitioned to serving her community. Following earning a bachelor’s in social work from the University of St. Thomas, she served with organizations focused on youth mentorship, criminal justice, housing, and mental health. A common thread throughout this work is the foundational need for safe, stable housing to allow people to live with dignity, self-determination, and prosperity. These experiences have inspired Lindsey to work towards dismantling structural inequities within the housing system that hold people captive rather than providing an avenue for true freedom.

Drawing parallels between the marginalization of women in the military and other oppressed communities, Lindsey knows that intersectional policies and systems are vital components for creating environments for all people and communities to thrive. Lindsey will pursue a master’s of public policy and a minor in integrative leadership at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Her goal is to continue making an impact with a career in public service by better understanding the social, political, and economic systems that drive housing inequality in order to develop sustainable, community-centered housing solutions to end housing insecurity in her community.