Herons project is building connections Julia Sweeney decided to paint a heron after her students at Sterlington High School pointed out that she'd developed it as a lesson plan for them, but she had not painted her own yet. During the fall election season, she quickly designed a patriotic bird with freehanded stars and stripes. The family of Matthew Cameron had the option to choose a heron to honor his memory from donated funds, and they chose Sweeney's design. Cameron was a founding member of Downtown Monroe Renaissance. The director of strategy and business development for CenturyLink also served in numerous leadership roles at local nonprofits and in state leadership.