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Niko Legner’s military career took him across the world, and afterwards, his academic career ultimately brought him back closer to home in Michigan.

Legner was born in California, but grew up in Rosebush, Mich. After high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, going through boot camp at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

“I came from a background where there wasn’t a lot of community or parental involvement in my education,” Legner says. “So I joined the military, and I think the military opened up a lot of doors and taught a sense of professionalism and guidance that wouldn’t have been available to someone from my background.”

Three deployments took him to an array of countries, from Japan to Chile to Australia. After those deployments, he spent time working and traveling abroad, with his academic journey ultimately bringing him back to Michigan – first to Mid Michigan College, where he earned his associate degree in history and political science.

Legner spoke highly of community college as a step in his academic journey.

“Community college is a great way to just start really rocking,” he said. “You can get great grades, and it provides you access to the top-tier universities, like U-M.”

Afterwards, he applied to Michigan to continue his education and earn his bachelor’s degree.

“U-M was talked about as the school, growing up and going to school in Michigan,” Legner says. “It was crazy when I saw the acceptance letter.”

He transferred into U-M, joining the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) and studying political science. For him, Ann Arbor has lived up to the hype, from the wide-ranging, international food scene to art fairs: “There’s always something happening downtown.”

Legner credits professional staff in Veteran & Military Services (VMS), Phil Larson and Tiffany Fee, as well as VMS Peer Advising (formerly known as PAVE) and Student Veterans of America (SVA), as all helping him get acclimated to campus and meet “a bunch of of cool people that I hang out with regularly.”

His involvement with VMS was particularly impactful, so Legner is now paying it forward by serving as a peer advisor.

“I really am excited when someone is looking for help and I can help solve their problems,” he says.

One practical piece of advice he wishes he could give to his past self “To figure out how to most efficiently set up my courses in order to graduate on time.”

Legner is scheduled to graduate in fall 2026. After graduating, he plans to continue his education through law school. Legner cites upward mobility, problem-solving, and leadership opportunities as all things he looks forward to, especially after leading in the Marines as a section leader and interim platoon sergeant.

His dream job?

“I like high-pressure work environments, so I think being general counsel for maybe a startup or a major firm would be a really exciting way to keep me stressed,” Legner says.