Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, UF’s Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets meet at 6 a.m. for physical training. It could be anything ranging from weightlifting, running or rucking, where participants walk with a weighted backpack. PT is crucial to maintaining the fitness required of armed service members, 21-year-old UF nutrition junior Ava Sheppard said, but waking up that early is difficult for any college student.
But Saturday, 119 people gathered at Lake Alice Field at 7:30 a.m. to honor Nyla Holland, a 20-year-old animal sciences sophomore at UF and ROTC member. On March 2, she was killed after being hit by a car outside of Southwest Recreation Center while riding her moped. The UF Army ROTC hosted a 5k to bring people together to remember her.
Although the 7:30 a.m. start time wasn’t quite the 6 a.m. the cadets are used to, they were able to watch the sunrise together and remember Holland’s positivity on those early mornings.
“It's just a lot quieter at PT. Her smile, it sounds cheesy, but absolutely lit up an entire room,” said Sheppard.
Participants were encouraged to wear purple, and everyone was given a “Shine Like Nyla” bracelet. Registration for the 5k was $10, and the money raised from the event was given to Holland’s family. In addition to the roughly $2,000 the 5k garnered, Holland’s family will receive photographs of Holland and her peers, as well as notes participants were encouraged to write in her memory.
Twenty-two-year-old UF business administration senior Chloe Sanders organized the event with the help of 23-year-old UF political science senior Lauren McDaniel. After reaching out to a variety of campus organizations Holland was involved in, they secured Lake Alice Field and created a route that would wind around campus.
Participants were able to sign their names or write a note to her family next to a poster board with photos of Holland and her friends. By the end of the 5k, the poster board was filled with the signatures of those who walked and ran to honor her life.
“I know she's looking down, probably so happy that everyone loved her this much,” McDaniel said.
Many at the event said Holland was the only person who could bring people together in this way, which was also seen at the candlelight vigil held in her honor on March 3, where 200 people attended to remember Holland.
While the event was organized by ROTC, Holland’s impact on campus was reflected in the range of people who attended the 5k. Nathalie Lopez, a 20-year-old UF animal sciences sophomore, remembered feeling the loss of Holland within the major they shared. When she attended her animal sciences classes in the days following Holland’s death, she said everyone was asking each other if they were OK.
“It was kind of tough at first, but everybody came together and supported each other, and we're all still doing that,” she said.
For many, the crowd was a mixture of familiar and new faces. Some who happened to already be walking in the area signed up on a whim to join the group. Others found each other on the field and shared stories of Nyla, pointing at the photos displayed.
Standing in front of the table, Nola Hood, a 20-year-old nursing sophomore at Emory University, remembered her childhood friend. She knew Holland in middle school and high school before parting ways for college. Hood laughed as she remembered how the two friends’ teachers used to confuse their names.
She can’t believe it has been a month since Holland passed, she said, and the death of her friend changed her outlook on life and challenged her to take advantage of every opportunity.
“Life is just too short to not do stuff that you're passionate about, because she spent every waking moment doing that,” Hood said about Holland.
As the runners arrived back at Lake Alice Park and the walkers caught up to them, many stopped to chat to each other about the route, their weekend plans and Holland’s impact on the communities.
Emma DiNicola, a 22-year-old UF public relations sophomore, said Holland had the ability to form communities of her own. DiNicola’s parents met Holland once before, and she said they continued to ask how Holland was doing despite their brief interaction.
“I don't know a person out there that could bring people together like this,” DiNicola said. “I just love her so much, and I miss her…So I'll be here every single year when it keeps going.”
Contact Juliana DeFilippo at jdefillipo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @JulianaDeF58101
Juliana DeFilippo is a first-year journalism major and general assignment Avenue reporter. In her free time, she loves to read and work on crossword puzzles.
