COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Aiyanna Williams’ family is focusing on her legacy after Misael Covarrubias pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder along with seven other charges in the 2025 downtown Columbia shooting that killed her.

A family representative told ABC 17 News the family does not wish to comment on the plea and is focusing on healing. The representative said the family appreciates attention on the scholarship fund in Williams’ honor.

The Day Dreams Foundation is raising money for the Aiyanna Williams Memorial Scholarship. Executive Director Adonica Coleman told ABC 17 News the fund has raised about $25,000 and needs about $11,000 more to be endowed.

The scholarship will award $1,500 each spring to a graduating high school senior. The first award is expected in May 2027. Coleman said Williams’ mother, Phyllis, helped shape the scholarship criteria.

“The recipient does not need to be the most accomplished student-athlete, performer or leader,” Coleman said. “It’s that the scholarship seeks to recognize a young person whose character, heart and determination embody the spirit of Aiyanna.”

In a written statement, Stephens College President Shannon Lundeen said the college remembers Williams “not for the tragedy of her death, but for the remarkable young woman she was: determined, compassionate, joyful, and deeply committed to caring for others.”

Williams first received a Day Dreams scholarship in 2015 to dance with Missouri Contemporary Ballet, according to the foundation. Donations to the memorial scholarship can be made through Day Dreams Foundation’s donation page, where donors can select Williams’ name.