Hundreds of community members gathered at First Baptist Church of Apopka on Saturday to honor the life of fallen soldier Mariyah Collington, 19, who died May 12 during a multinational military exercise in Morocco. 

“I am sorry for failing you. I am sorry for not being able to protect you,” said first sergeant Jacob Romero at the funeral, reading a letter he wrote to Collington after her death. “I know people will tell me that I cannot have controlled everything. They will tell me not to carry this guilt, but as your first sergeant, my heart does not know how to separate the responsibility from the love for my soldiers.”

Army officials said Collington’s remains were recovered from a coastal cave near Cap Draa after a multinational search effort involving U.S. Air Force pararescuemen and Moroccan personnel.  

Collington enlisted in the military after completing her dual-enrollment program, earning a 4.4 GPA at Evans High School and a medical assisting certification from Orange Technical College.  

“When challenges arose, especially during game nights on the sideline when the volume was not as loud, Mariyah would get her team in a huddle, say what needed to be said, and then she would finish off by saying, ‘Come on, guys, we got this!’” said Chelsey Potter, Collington’s high school cheer coach. “When I learned that she had become a specialist while serving in the U.S. Army, I was so proud but also not surprised, because Mariyah was truly a natural servant leader… Mariyah may not be here in the natural, but she’ll forever be remembered as the sweetest, resilient, and vivacious cheerleader from 4949 Silver Star Road [address of Evans High School].”

In a U.S. Army press release about her death, Capt. Spencer Grider praised Collington as an “outstanding soldier whose unwavering enthusiasm and positive spirit uplifted every environment she entered.”  

Although Collington had recently called Tavares home, Marvin C. Zanders Funeral Home in Apopka received her remains earlier this month. Collington was a member of St. Paul AME Church in Apopka and was baptized on May 19, 2024. She leaves behind her parents and three brothers.

“Your joy can be felt eons away, so I do not believe you have truly left me,” said brother Keshawn Collington in the funeral program. “You have gained your wings, but will forever be a part of my story. Your love, laughter, and your light are engraved in my heart. My job as an older brother will never be finished. I promise to look after our family and keep your name alive.” 

One of Collington’s pastors, Joshua Black, has also experienced the death of a sibling and said he was moved by Keshawn’s words at the funeral. 

“For any young person, I would say, ‘Live your life. Go out, be the best that you can be, do what you can, accomplish what you can while you can, because we just never know,’” Black said. 

— With reporting from Patsy Whitely