Moments after homecoming queen win, Mississippi teen gives up crown in ‘selfless’ act
“Selfless,” “emotional” and “a moment no one will ever forget.”
That’s how parents in one Mississippi school community described the moment Forrest County Agricultural High School senior Nyla Covington gave up her tiara seconds after being crowned the 2021 homecoming queen.
Her act of kindness was on full display Saturday when she removed her crown and placed it on the head of her friend and classmate Brittany Walters, according to photos and videos posted online. Brittany’s mother, an esteemed employee at the Brooklyn, Mississippi, high school, had died from cancer just hours earlier.
“On Friday, September 24, 2021, a beloved employee at FCAHS, Ms. A.J. Walters, lost her battle with cancer,” school Superintendent Dr. Donna Boone confirmed to McClatchy News in a statement Monday. “Her daughter Brittany, a senior at FCAHS, was selected as a Senior Maid for the Homecoming Court. Ms. Walters’ request of her family was that Brittany not miss this senior opportunity.”
The sweet moment between Nyla and Brittany was captured by dozens of parents and fans watching, teary-eyed, from the football stands.
“Senior maid, Nyla Covington, was crowned Homecoming Queen,” FCAHS parent Erica Sherrill Owens wrote on Facebook alongside photos and video from the ceremony. “I watched as she asked Principal (Will) Wheat and (District Superintendent) Dr. (Donna) Boone if she could pass her crown to Brittany, and I don’t even remember recording the moment through the tears, but here y’all go. So much class and a moment no one will ever forget.”
The video had more than 4,100 views as of Monday and dozens of comments from users who were just as moved by Nyla’s gesture.
“I literally get chill bumps EVERY time I read about and see the photos of this beautiful moment of pure, unadulterated love!!!” one person commented.
“I was a puddle last night and here again this morning,” another wrote. “Best thing ever!”
Owens said Brittany’s mother was a dear of friend of hers and that they had watched their daughters grow up together.
“Brittany’s mom was very special to me, as is this senior class,” Owens told McClatchy News. “One of my daughters is a senior and I’ve watched all these girls grow up. It was such an emotional moment.”
Parent Kari Keene Ryals agreed, calling it the “most heartfelt thing I have seen in a long time.”
Boone said there “wasn’t a dry eye in the stadium” after Nyla’s “act of extraordinary selflessness.”
“Nyla’s example shows all of us that kindness is not just words but actions,” the superintendent said. “This act of kindness of noticing others and valuing people embodies the spirit of FCAHS. We are proud of the example that Nyla has modeled for the whole world to see.”
Brooklyn is about 20 miles south of Hattiesburg.
This story was originally published September 27, 2021 at 11:23 AM.