Northern Michigan University senior and Clinical Laboratory Sciences major Arianna Tesler is the 2026 NMU Student Veteran of the Year.
The Grand Blanc, Mich. native graduated from Grand Blanc High School in 2021 before enlisting in the Michigan Army National Guard as a tactical power generation specialist. She currently serves with the 1437 Engineer Company in Marquette.
Tesler is an active member of numerous student groups on campus including the NMU Student Veterans Organization, ASNMU, NMU Student Democrats and NMU Allies. She also volunteers as a teaching assistant in the Clinical Laboratory Science department.
Off-campus, Tesler volunteers for numerous organizations in the Marquette community, including playing a “ghost” at the annual “Ghosts of Lighthouse Point,” the Marquette Maritime Museum’s annual fundraising event. She has also volunteered for other annual area events including the Noquemanon Ski Marathon, the UP200 Sled Dog Race, the Home Builders Association builders’ show and Harborfest in Marquette’s Lower Harbor Park.
A Veterans Administration work-study student in the NMU Student Veterans office for the past two years, Tesler has assisted with training new work-study students in the tasks associated with that position.
Tesler will be honored during the upcoming Nov. 14 NMU football game, in which the Wildcats will host the Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals in the Superior Dome. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.