It was a night filled with applause, laughter and a chorus from special honorees and their guests who sang Happy Birthday to one honoree.

The Daily Iberian’s Top 20 Under 40 award reception was held Thursday night at Courtesy  Cadillac in Broussard. The showroom floor highlighted a treasure of young adult talent on display for the evening. 

All 20 of them are making early career choices that are placing them miles ahead in life when it comes to philanthropy and their chosen professions.

One honoree in particular savored the evening on her last night of being twenty-something. 

“It’s kinda scary but good I’m not ready to let go of my 20s. I’m 29 and holding,” Emily Shea Hanagriff said. 

The physical therapist for LHC Home Health Care in Franklin turns 30 today. Thursday night’s attendees serenaded her as she blushed and smiled for pictures.

Daily Iberian Publisher Christina Pierce and Managing Editor Raymond Partsch greeted each honoree with a souvenir for the evening and a copy of their story of accomplishments that are in a special section in today’s publication. 

Pierce said it’s important to pause and pay tribute to these area examples.  

“It’s always a challenge for smaller communities to attract the best and brightest they tend to go away to college and not come back,” Pierce said. “So we are taking this opportunity to recognize persons who have returned to the area and are providing exceptional support to the community.”

Honorees were well-supported by parents, spouses, co-workers and friends in a crowd estimated at approximately 200 people. The celebratory mood and sense of pride could be seen on the faces of those closest to those receiving awards Thursday night.

“It’s a fantastic award. I think it’s a great thing for the community with everything going on in the area we need something positive,” Herb Antoine, the father of honoree Ryan Antoine, said. Antoine is a teacher and coach at Westgate High School,  

“He works hard with the kids a lot of kids look to him as a father figure. Some kids come from a single parent home and my son is like another parent,” said the elder Antoine.

The Westgate coach said he’s blessed to be a part of the festivities. 

“I’m just glad to be here with my family and be honored in front of my mom and dad,” he said.

Pierce said that one character trait that was seen in all of Thursday night’s recipients was their humility. Rebekah Russo was one such example as she shied away from cameras but begin to spill over with joy when talking about the works she and her husband Brodie, also a 20 Under 40 honoree, do with special education children and the Special Olympics. 

She described the feeling she gets at a Special Olympics event.

“It feels amazing, it just touches my heart that I get to be apart of their lives and they let me,” Russo said. “I come back blessed every time.”

Thursday night’s honorees were presented a souvenir plate with their names to commemorate the occasion.