2014 Tillman Scholar
Nikki spent six years in the airline industry as a flight attendant transporting military troops all over the world. In February 2011, she married Army Staff Sergeant Joseph Altmann. On Christmas Day 2011, Joseph was killed in the line of duty as a combat medic when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire in Afghanistan.
Nikki became a Gold Star widow overnight, and she decided to honor her husband’s service and those who helped her after his death by going to school at Texas A&M to pursue a degree in Leadership, Education, and Communication with a minor in Human Resources Development. At Texas A&M, Nikki was part of multiple programs that helped her connect with veterans and other families of fallen soldiers. Through her work and education, she wants to help connect the dots across government and military organizations to better support and educate servicemembers, veterans and especially their families about benefits and resources.