Ellie Walker

Share your military spouse story:
I became a military spouse 14 years ago, when I married my husband, who has served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 20 years. Since then, my life has been shaped by deployments, frequent moves, and the unique barriers faced by Coast Guard families, including navigating gaps in resources during government shutdowns and rebuilding support systems with every relocation. As a mom of three, I have experienced childcare challenges, employment disruption, financial strain, and the emotional labor of constantly starting over. These realities strengthened my resolve rather than weakening it. I fought for my education and am now a law student focused on restorative justice and policy reform so I can better advocate for military families. These experiences shaped a deep and steady purpose: to help build a world where service-connected families can count on dignity, stability, and opportunity, wherever the military calls them to serve - even in the hardest seasons of service.

Describe any leadership positions or provide an overview of your leadership contributions within the military community.
I currently serve as an Advisory Board Member for the Military Family Advisory Network, helping ensure programs and policy recommendations reflect the real-world needs of military families across all branches. I also serve as Vice-Chair of the Culture & Inclusion Committee for the Military Spouse J.D. Network, where I develop critical programming that strengthens connection among military spouse attorneys, law students, and legal professionals, expands access to legal education and professional resources, and builds collaboration across affinity bar associations, despite the constant moves that define military life. My broader leadership includes civic engagement, spouse advocacy, and mentorship efforts that ensure underrepresented military spouses and Coastie spouses have a voice in decision-making spaces. Across every role, I focus on collaborative, solutions-oriented leadership grounded in dignity, inclusion, and community wellbeing.

What programs or projects are you currently involved in that support the needs of military families?
My current work spans national and local efforts that strengthen military family support systems. As an Advisory Board Member with MFAN, I help ensure that programs, resources, and policy recommendations reflect the real experiences of military families, contributing the unique perspective of the Coast Guard community as the only Coast Guard spouse on the board. Through MSJDN, I support culture and belonging initiatives that expand mobility and visibility for military spouses in the legal field. In my prior work with Secure Families Initiative and civic engagement partners, I advocated for voting access and amplified military family perspectives in policy spaces. I advocated and supported Coast Guard families, particularly during government shutdowns, to ensure equitable access to critical resources and emergency support. Across all of this work, I center dignity, accessibility, and equity so military families are not just discussed, but included in decisions that affect our lives.

What moments best reflect your impact on building inclusive community among military spouses?
My most meaningful impact comes from creating spaces where military spouses feel seen, valued, and included. This includes advocating for military spouses of color, supporting culture and belonging initiatives through the Military Spouse J.D. Network, and uplifting spouse voices in both policy and civic engagement spaces. I strive to ensure that spouses from all backgrounds and military branches, including multicultural families, relocating parents, caregivers, and career-seeking spouses, feel supported and represented. I prioritize community-building rooted in trust, listening, and compassion. Whether facilitating conversations, supporting advocacy efforts, or connecting spouses to critical resources, my focus is always on belonging, dignity, and equitable opportunity. My perspective is deeply informed by the Coast Guard spouse community, where supporting one another through transition, separation, and uncertainty is part of everyday life.

Identify your main advocacy effort and describe your personal connection to the cause.
My primary advocacy focus is ensuring equitable access to opportunity for military families, especially families of color and underrepresented spouses. As an interracial, multicultural Coast Guard family, I have experienced firsthand how policy gaps, frequent relocation, economic stress, and bias can impact family well-being. I am especially committed to advancing equity in resources, family readiness, and professional support for Coast Guard families, who are often underserved within the broader DOD military systems. My advocacy builds pathways for families to thrive through access to civic participation, professional opportunity, and meaningful representation in policy decisions. This work is rooted in lived experience, community love, and the belief that service should never require families to sacrifice dignity or opportunity.

Summarize your advocacy outreach strategies, including any events, media involvement, or other communication efforts.
My outreach blends relationship-based organizing with national-level advocacy. I collaborate with organizations, advisory boards, and grassroots leaders to elevate military family perspectives in policy spaces. My work includes community education, facilitated discussions, policy engagement, mentorship, youth programming, and voting rights outreach. I center accessibility, cultural awareness, and trauma-informed engagement to ensure spouses feel empowered and not spoken for. My goal is to connect lived experience to systems-level reform through compassionate, collaborative communication.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
If selected, I hope to use this platform to elevate the voices of underrepresented military families - especially Coast Guard families - strengthen pathways to opportunity, and expand awareness of policy issues impacting family well-being. I aim to help build bridges between military families, policymakers, and civic organizations so families feel supported, informed, and empowered. This includes elevating the needs of Coast Guard families navigating isolation, demanding operational tempos, and uneven access to resources. Ultimately, I want every military spouse to feel seen, valued, and equipped to thrive, no matter their branch, background, or circumstance. My vision is a military community where belonging, dignity, and opportunity are standard - not privilege.