Alumni of Notable Achievement: Peggy Flanagan

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (BA '02, Child Psychology) is the 50th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, first elected in 2018 alongside Governor Tim Walz and reelected in 2022. A citizen of the White Earth Nation, she made history as the first woman of color elected to statewide office in Minnesota and, at the time of her election, the highest-ranking Native American woman to hold elected office in the country. Her path to the Lieutenant Governor's office was shaped by years of community organizing, advocacy, and public service, including work on Paul Wellstone's Senate campaign, service on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board, and four years in the Minnesota House of Representatives. As Lieutenant Governor, she has been a tireless champion for Indigenous rights, sponsoring tribal consultation mandates and creating the nation's first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office. A progressive voice on healthcare, childcare, and equity, Flanagan continues to break barriers at every level of public life. Her story is a powerful reminder that a liberal arts education does more than open doors, it shapes lives of purpose, meaning, and impact.