When Nyla Covington, a senior at Forrest County Agricultural High School, was named 2021 Homecoming Queen on September 24, no one expected her to give it all away. But that’s exactly what she did.
Upon receiving her crown, Covington immediately walked over to her friend and fellow senior maid, Brittany Walters, and said, “I think this belongs to you.”
Brittany, who’s mother, A.J. Walters, had just passed away that morning after a long battle with cancer, burst into tears, along with most of the audience.
A.J. had been a beloved administrative assistant and substitute teacher at Forrest County for many years. Principal William Wheat said that even though everyone knew her cancer was terminal, her death came as a devastating shock.
“A.J. was always smiling,” Wheat said. “Even when she was sick, she always had a smile on her face. She was kind and patient. There are a lot of people that work in schools, but she was one of those that truly loved to be here.”
Members of the homecoming audience captured Covington’s kind gesture and shared it online. Videos of the moment quickly started to go viral, and people from across the country began to comment on how inspired they were by Covington’s “selflessness.”
“I think actions speak louder than words,” Wheat said. “No one told Nyla to do that. I went to give her the crown, and she asked if she could give the crown to Brittany. I told her, ‘Of course. I think that’s a great idea.’ It was all her idea. It just shows what a caring person that she is.”
What most people didn’t know, however, is that the moment on the field was just the finale of what was a much larger story of a community coming together to fulfill A.J.’s dying wish to get Brittany to homecoming.
Tyra Willamor-Idom, a close family friend, helped coordinate the efforts to make A.J.’s wish come true.
“It took so many acts of kindness and people making themselves available to get us to that point at homecoming,” she said.
Willam-Idom called on her network of people built from previously working as coordinator for Forrest General’s Spirit Girls to help find Brittany a dress and raise money for everything they would need. The community raised more than $800. A boutique on the coast also agreed to discount the dress that Brittany chose, and a local seamstress altered it for free in time for it to be approved by the high school administration. They also paid for Brittany’s hair, makeup and spray tan.
Forrest County AHS also arranged for a cap and gown to arrive in time for Brittany to take early senior pictures with her mom. A local photographer cleared her schedule to get a session in time.
Originally, Asbury Hospice House was coordinating with the school to transport A.J. to the homecoming game so she could see Brittany walk on the field. A.J.’s condition, however, started to deteriorate too rapidly for that to happen.
When A.J. passed on the morning of homecoming, Willam-Idom’s husband, who owns a graphic design business, quickly made and donated signs that read “Mom is so proud of you” and “Watching from the best seat in the house, love mom” for the audience to hold. All of the Walters’ friends and family showed up to support Brittany.
“I think that people let go when God calls us home at different times,” Willam-Idom said. “I truly believe that A.J. let go that morning so that her husband, her daughter would walk at homecoming. . . . I look at that moment and act of kindness from Nyla, but I also think of all the kindness from people all around the community that rallied together for this magical moment to happen. I just think this is such a beautiful piece of our community. . . . And, Brittany is such a sweet, quiet girl. She really deserved to have this happy memory.”
Wheat agrees that the story is about so much more than just a homecoming moment.
“In the midst of so much darkness and negativity, a teenager, a community brought some light into the world. That’s the part that I want to be remembered the most,” he said.
