Maplesville resident Shirley Laister was recently awarded the Medal of Distinction at the Alabama Sports Festival by the Alabama Educators and Support Professionals for admirable work done in her community.

Laister is an active member of Plantersville Grove Missionary Baptist Church, where she assists with several activities including youth happenings.

She received the honor from the Alabama Sports Festival at the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Alabama Sports Festival State Games at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center on Friday, June 18.

“I feel really honored to be recognized by the festival and the commission,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting it. It did catch me off guard.”

Laister said she does not even know nominated her for the distinction, but it could be anyone she sees every day at work or at church. She works as a cosmetology instructor at Wallace Community College in Selma and owns Glamour Time Hair Design in Maplesville.

“I received the email that asked me to be present on the day that I received the award,” she said. “But I still don’t know to this day who nominated me. Evidently, someone felt I should receive it. It could have been anyone.”

The award is designed to recognize people who make contributions to the lives of students. Qualified recipients for the Medal of Distinction are active or retired educators or support professionals who have served at least 10 years in their respective fields. These heroes come from different backgrounds, including public, private, home school, Christian and two and four-year universities.

Laister is married to Bernard Laister, and has three sons: Reginald Jr., Regis and Romeo.

The ceremony was presented on live television by WBMA ABC 33/40, WSFA-TV 12 NBC and WKRG 5.3 RTV. The medals were designed, minted and presented by the Alabama Legislature, the Alabama Sports Festival and the Governor’s Commission on Physical Fitness.