Forrest County Agricultural High School seniors Brittany Walters and Nyla Covington made their Homecoming event extra special. Lots of tears were shed because of the love they showed the entire school.
Both ladies were selected as Senior Maids for this year’s Homecoming Court.
Nyla was named the 2021 Homecoming Queen during halftime of their school’s football game against West Marion. A great moment for any young lady for sure but it was what she did after that stole the show.
Nyla walked over to Brittany Walters, and crowned Walters with the tiara she removed from her head.
The two queens brought everyone in the stands to tears as they realized why Nyla gave Brittany her crown.
“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.”
A FCAHS parent Erica Sherrill Owens said on Facebook.
That very morning, before the event, Brittany had just lost her mother, A.J. Walters, to cancer. And yet this brave young woman put her dress on and attended Homecoming as it was her mom’s final wish.
A.J. knew she wouldn’t make it so she asked her husband to be with their daughter on that special day.
“She made me promise her that I was going to come out here with Brittany because she didn’t want to ruin her day, her homecoming day,” Sean Walters, Brittany’s dad, said. “She said that’s something she’ll remember for the rest of her life.”
Both father and daughter made their way to the school, grieving and heartbroken, but braving it out for A.J.
“All I could think about was my mom and how she wanted to be here, and then the next thing I know, Nyla walked towards me, and she hugged me.”
Walters recalled.
Brittany didn’t think Nyla would give her the crown. She just thought her friend was giving her love and support for the family’s loss that morning.
Brittany’s mom worked as an Administrative Assistant at FCAHS. Nyla admired Brittany’s mom, saying she was so kind and gentle. Many others in the school felt the same way about A.J.
“She’s like the person that I want everybody to be like, honestly, cause she just smiled.”
Nyla said.
School principal Will Wheat couldn’t agree more, saying, “Her spirit is what made her special. Even on the hardest days, even battling cancer, she always had a smile on her face.”
It was a sad day for the Walters but Nyla wanted to at least give them something beautiful to remember.
“I told her it belonged to her, and then she was, like, backing away,” Nyla recalled. “I was like, ‘No, come here, get it, you’re your mom’s queen.’ I wanted her to know that, and then I hugged her.”
At that moment, A.J. was surely smiling at both queens.
“I feel like this is her way of still touching people, ’cause that’s what she lived her whole life around,” she said. “My mom would have done the same thing if she was in Nyla’s shoes.”
They were queens that night but they are friends for life! Watch the heartwarming moment below!
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