Honoring Service: Junior League of Lafayette’s 2025 Community Breakfast Awards 

Junior League of Lafayette's 2025 Community Breakfast Awards spotlight individuals and organizations whose exceptional contributions enrich our community. This year’s honorees demonstrate the power of service, leadership, and passion for making a difference. Congratulations to our award recipients.

Shyra Moran – Outstanding Volunteer

A proud native of Geismar, Louisiana, and a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Shyra Moran is a passionate leader in both her professional and personal life. As the Community Relations Officer for Advancial Credit Union, she champions community engagement and social impact.

She serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for CASA of SOLA and is actively involved in Junior League of Lafayette, where she is the Community Impact Committee Chair Step-Up and serves on the Governance Advisory Panel. In 2022, Shyra was named one of Acadiana’s Top 20 Under 40, and in 2023, she was honored as a Girl Scouts – Pines to the Gulf Women of Distinction.

Shyra’s faith is the cornerstone of her work, and she is a dedicated member of Progressive Baptist Church, where she serves in the Women of Excellence Ministry.

Lisa Lazard – Outstanding Volunteer

Lisa Lazard exemplifies the power of volunteerism with her deep commitment to community service. An active Member of Junior League of Lafayette and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she has devoted herself to improving lives through hands-on involvement and leadership. Lisa is the founder of several impactful programs for young girls, including the Princess of Louisiana Etiquette program, Queendom Ministries’ Empowerment Program, and J.E.W.E.L.S. Shadowing program.

She has also served on the board of Lafayette’s Habitat for Humanity and works with Love Our Schools to advocate for education.

Beyond local efforts, Lisa’s global reach includes a project in Zambia to install flushing toilets for a village that only had pit latrines. As President of Lafayette’s Commission on the Needs of Women and Co-Founder of the Total Woman Expo, she continues to inspire others to give back and serve with purpose.

Ola Sims Prejean – Nedra Andrus Lifetime Achievement Award

Ola Sims Prejean’s decades of dedicated service to the Lafayette community are nothing short of inspiring. With leadership roles in organizations such as the Acadiana Onyx Women’s Society, Girl Scouts of Louisiana, and the League of Women Voters, Ola has been a driving force for civic engagement, especially advocating for racial and social justice. She initiated the successful removal of a Confederate statue in downtown Lafayette through the grassroots organization Move the Mindset, founded in honor of her late husband, Fred Prejean.

Ola has also been a key player in the Lafayette Parish Community Remembrance Project, memorializing victims of racial terror lynchings. A former school psychologist, she continues to advocate for civic engagement, particularly encouraging high school students and first-time voters to exercise their rights. Her leadership leaves a lasting impact on the community and future generations.

Hearts of Hope – Nonprofit of the Year

Hearts of Hope plays a crucial role as Acadiana’s only sexual trauma center, providing comprehensive support to victims of sexual assault. Their services include case management, a Sexual Abuse Response Center (SARC), and a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) designed to offer a safe space for survivors of all ages. With a 24-hour crisis line and dedicated Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE), Hearts of Hope ensures that victims have access to the care and support they need. Every 3.65 days, a rape occurs in Lafayette, but Hearts of Hope is always there—listening, believing, and protecting those in need.

These honorees not only embody the mission of the Junior League of Lafayette but also serve as powerful examples of how one person or organization can make a profound impact on the community. We celebrate their unwavering dedication to service and their incredible contributions to improving the lives of others.