ALEXANDRIA, LA – The Red River Athletic Conference has announced former Louisiana State University of Alexandria baseball player Stephen Roozendal as the 2025-26 RRAC Male Etier Character Athlete of the Year.
 
Now in its 10^th year, the award is given annually to one male and one female RRAC student-athlete who best represent the tenets of the NAIA Champions of Character program (respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship and servant leadership). To be eligible, student-athletes must be nominated by their respective RRAC member institution. All nominees were considered finalists, and the winners were selected in voting by the RRAC Champions of Character Committee.
 
"Steph has been an integral mentor on our campus with our baseball team and the SPERO program, which he helped grow," LSUA Assistant Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Tyler Unsicker said. "His role on the baseball team changed from being a pitcher only to playing a position and helping our team reach its first NAIA National Tournament in four years. He works hard to uplift others and always has a smile on his face."

The awards were posthumously named for Betty Etier, an NAIA and RRAC Hall of Famer, RRAC Eligibility Chair for 18 years, and an associate professor/faculty athletics representative at Huston-Tillotson University (Texas). Etier made a lasting impression on everyone involved in the RRAC and helped shape the conference from its beginning.
 
Roozendal is the first male LSUA student-athlete to be named the Etier Character Athlete of the Year and the second General overall, after Dannah Martin-Hartwick earned the honor in 2023-24.
 
He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a GPA of 3.78.
 
Roozendal also made a major impact on campus through his work with the SPERO program.
 
"Stephen has been an extraordinary mentor in our Spero program for the past two years, serving as both an academic and social mentor, and stepping up as a Lead Mentor in his final year," Director of SPERO Brittany Soden said. "He was one of the best mentors we've ever had and deeply committed to putting our students first. Stephen worked maximum hours and freely gave his personal time because he genuinely cared. He formed meaningful bonds with the students, especially with Drew, serving as a friend, big brother, and role model while sharing their mutual love of baseball during Drew's internship with the team."
 
LSUA's SPERO program is a four-year inclusive postsecondary education program which aims to bring hope to the lives of students with intellectual disabilities. SPERO provides skills training classes to assist students in leading more independent lives and take up gainful employment in their communities.
 
SPERO mentors assist and support program students while they are attending their SPERO classes, audited courses, employment training, LSUA events, and community outings.
 
"Stephen embodied respect, responsibility, integrity, and servant leadership in everything he did," Soden added. "He showed care not only for our students but for our entire staff, always willing to help and frequently checking in to see what more he could do. He was the greatest asset any leader could ask for and a shining example for our students. We are incredibly proud of Stephen and thrilled that his outstanding character and service are being recognized with the RRAC Male Etier Character Athlete of the Year award."