Northwestern State University Elementary Lab School (NSU E-Lab) will host a Veterans Day Celebration on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, to honor veterans for their service.
The event will begin with a special reception for visiting veterans at 8 a.m. at the Garden Pavilion, with parking available across from A.A. Fredericks. The Veterans Day Celebration will follow at 8:30 a.m. in the NSU Elementary Lab School gym.
Students invite veterans throughout the community to attend as they recognize and thank them for their service.
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Roderick “Rico” Alvendia, an Iraq War veteran, Louisiana attorney and member of the LSU Board of Supervisors, will be featured as part of the celebration.
Alvendia served as an officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for 25 years, including a deployment to Baghdad with Louisiana’s 256th Infantry Tiger Brigade. During his deployment, he led a multinational team of attorneys that prosecuted enemy combatants responsible for fatal attacks on U.S. soldiers and civilians. He received the Bronze Star Medal for his meritorious service.
Born and raised in Louisiana, Alvendia attended Jesuit High School in the Philippines while his father served abroad as a diplomat. He later earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola University and was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2008.
Alvendia is the founding partner of the New Orleans-based Alvendia, Kelly & Demarest Law Firm, which has represented businesses, individuals and municipalities for more than 20 years.
He previously received a presidential appointment to serve on the Board of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Alvendia also co-founded the Legion of Mars Mardi Gras Krewe, a New Orleans Carnival organization dedicated to honoring and assisting veterans and first responders. Through the krewe and its Mars Hero Fund, he has helped thousands of military veterans and their families facing financial hardships or deployments.
In 2025, Alvendia was selected by Louisiana’s congressional delegation to serve as the 76th King of Washington, D.C., Mardi Gras, dedicating the cultural event to honoring U.S. military veterans.
Alvendia is married to Kristin Alvendia, an LSU alumna and mental health awareness advocate. Their son, Noah, is a freshman at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
Community veterans are encouraged to attend the Nov. 13 celebration and reception.
For additional information, contact Lisa Wiggins at lwiggins@npsb.la.