This is Emma Terry’s year.

The Leeds native, 22, was crowned as Miss Alabama 2025 on June 28 at Samford University’s Wright Center in Birmingham. Terry, a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, competed as Miss Hoover, impressing the judges and besting 42 other women for the title.

You’ve heard the expression “third time’s the charm”? That’s definitely true for the new Miss Alabama, who earned runner-up status to two previous winners, Brianna Burrell in 2023 and Abbie Stockard in 2024.

Now the crown is hers, and Terry is ready to meet the public, work hard and make an impact during her 12-month reign. She’ll move on to compete for Miss America in September, but Terry says her top priority is to serve with kindness and grace as the state titleholder

READ: Miss Alabama 2025: Emma Terry, Miss Hoover, wins the crown

“My goal is to be a good Miss Alabama,” Terry said during a recent interview. “Part of being a good Miss Alabama is representing my state with pride on the Miss America stage.”

AL.com caught up with Terry a few days after her win, sitting down with her for a wide-ranging interview at the Tutwiler Hotel. As it turned out, Terry was extremely forthright and willing to tackle any subject, including difficult moments from her past. She bonded closely with her mother after her parents’ divorce, for example, and became a devoted caregiver to her grandfather during his struggle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS.

Terry’s community service initiative, Stomping Out ALS One Step at a Time, was prompted by her grandfather’s illness, and she’s determined to raise awareness and support research for the neurodegenerative disease, which affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

“The smallest steps can make the biggest differences,” Terry said. “That’s what I advocate for, because there is a cure for ALS. We just haven’t found it yet.”

Here are excerpts from our two-hour conversation with the new Miss Alabama, which covered everything from her career goals to her taste in literature to her thoughts on Southern women. (“There is strength, there is grit, and there is resilience,” Terry said.)

(The interview below has been edited for length and clarity.)

You were crowned Miss Alabama on a Saturday night at the Wright Center. When you woke up the next morning, what was your first thought?

Emma Terry: I went to bed at 2:30 that morning and my alarm went off at 5. I just thought for a second, “Where am I?” I looked and I was like, “I am in the most comfortable, pillowy, cloudy, soft bed in the presidential suite at the Tutwiler. And Abbie put the Miss Alabama crown on my head last night. This does not feel real.” I have heard Miss Alabama say that year after year. But now I get it. I get that feeling of it being so surreal.

Did you feel any extra pressure at the pageant this year because you had been the runner-up two years in a row?

I had to surrender, and trust timing, and trust the Lord’s plan. I threw myself into everything. I gave it all I had. Instead of succumbing to the pressure, I had a choice. I said, “Nope. I’m going to keep working hard, and keep working so that I can present my best self on that stage — and so that I can show that panel of judges and that entire audience who Emma Terry is.“ And lead with kindness, grace, and a heart wide open. And that is what I did.

What were you thinking and feeling in that moment on stage, just before your name was called as the winner?

Standing up there, holding hands in the top two, I felt this immense feeling of peace because I knew that I had done everything that I could. I don’t like to interpret a “no” as a “no” or rejection as rejection. I like to think of “nos” as “not yets,” and rejection as redirection.

To be fully transparent, there were moments where I doubted myself (in the competition). And I would call my best friend or call my mom, and I would be like, “I need a pep talk” … But I have worked hard for this. I know that I can do this, and serve the state, and execute the roles and responsibilities of Miss Alabama. Not only that, but I am good enough. I am good enough for my goals and my dreams and this organization has proven that to me.

Your mother, Amy Terry, came up to the stage when you won, and it seemed like an emotional moment for both of you. Tell us about that.

My mom and I have such a special relationship and bond because of how much we’ve been through together. Not just through (my parents’) divorce, but taking care of my grandfather, Stewart Simpson, who had ALS. We had to support each other so much through that, and just really leaned on each other. That moment where mom ran up to me in the crowd, it was just one of the most special things. I looked at her and I said, “We did it.” … All those times that I experienced “not yet,” now’s not your time, Mom was right there to keep helping me push, keep pushing me through self-doubt, and keep telling me I can do this. Even when I didn’t believe in myself, she did.

You’ll compete at the Miss America pageant is September, just two months after winning Miss Alabama. Are you ready for that?

I am 100% ready to compete at the national level. But I also know that my goal is to be a good Miss Alabama. Part of being a good Miss Alabama is representing my state with pride on the Miss America stage. So regardless of what the results are, I just want to represent Alabama with pride.

You were born and raised in Leeds. What makes your hometown special?

Everybody knows everybody. That is my favorite thing about Leeds. You can walk down Main Street or be in the Three-Eared Rabbit eating lunch, or shop in Mum & Me or the Pants Store, and you see five different people that you know. That’s the atmosphere that I love so much. It’s just you know everybody. And while it’s a large community and a very fast-growing community, there’s still such a tight-knit nature and family orientation about Leeds that I just love.

We’re also known for Charles Barkley. Charles Barkley is from Leeds. We have the statue of him in front of the high school. But it’s just a fabulous community, and I’m really excited to see how fast the schools are growing. How many people want to come to Leeds? It’s difficult to buy a house because so many people are just buying up property and houses, and it’s great.

Leeds also has Buc-ee’s, right? What’s your favorite thing at Buc-ee’s?

That’s our new claim to fame, I think. And there are these little Beaver Nuggets. Those are delicious. It’s like eating air. They’re so good. It’s a little sweet treat.

I’ll tell you something else that I love about Buc-ee’s. Everybody talks about the food, but I love the gift section. You can go in there and find some of the cutest things. My grandmother loves roosters. That’s her theme in her house. We walked in there and we found about 10 different rooster plates, rooster statues. I never thought that I would walk into to a glorified gas station and find the cutest little gift items and just cute country things. That’s also a fun part of Buc-ee’s.

Leeds has Barber Motorsports Park. Any thoughts on that?

Yes! I have a fundraiser race at Barber Motorsports Park every year, Stewart’s Race, in honor of my grandfather. I partner with a national organization called Racing for ALS. They host races across the country everywhere, from California to Virginia and North Carolina, and now Birmingham. For the past two years, we’ve raised $48,000 that has gone to Duke University’s ALS Therapy Development Institute, and their patient assistance fund.

You graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in May, with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. What’s your career goal?

My ultimate goal is law school. Right now I’m Miss Alabama; that’s my priority. But ultimately I want to be an attorney specialized in public finance, specifically in the area of bonds. I’d like to be an attorney for school districts and municipalities, so that I’m still being an advocate for community organizations that aren’t necessarily the most advocated for. Sometimes, when you think of attorneys, you might think of big companies who are being navigated through financial loopholes. But I’d like to help navigate those organizations — school districts, municipalities, even non-profits — through the legality of their finances.

Do you have any law school in mind?

I would love to go to Cumberland (School of Law at Samford University). I love Birmingham, and Cumberland has produced some of the most fantastic attorneys. And I would love to stay in Birmingham. I’m an Alabama girl.

Accountants and lawyers seem like people with precise and logical minds. Are you like that?

You know how there’s people who are Type A and Type B? I am Type C. I am definitely a Type C person because I have so many parts of me that are type A. I want to be organized. But then I have learned through my life experiences to let go of so much, and to just go with the flow and be truly adaptable. In a role like this as Miss Alabama, you have to be. You don’t know what’s coming next. For the year ahead, I have my goals. I have things that I want to do. But I know that there’s things that I can’t plan for, and that is OK.

When you have free time, what kinds of things do you like to do?

I love to spend my free time with my family and my friends. I love to watch a good movie. My favorite movies of all time are “You’ve Got Mail” and “Tombstone” with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer.

I love to exercise. I love to be active. I love to spend my free time taking a yoga class or a Pilates class. I’m also a True40 ambassador; I love their workout classes. I love to go on a walk. I love to read. I love to rest and take time for myself. I love to do all of those things.

What do you like to read?

I hope this doesn’t sound pretentious or anything, but I love classic literature. I took AP classes in high school, so I love a good Jane Austen. I love the Bronte sisters. “Wuthering Heights” is one of my absolute favorites. I love “Jane Eyre.” That’s probably my favorite book of all time. I could talk days about how revolutionary the book is for its time, because (the main character) made this decision to go off on her own. And at the time that was incredibly revolutionary for a woman and for the main character of a book to do that.

“Persuasion” is my favorite (by Jane Austen) because that’s another example of a woman taking a different path. It still ended up with a happy ending, but it was a different path for someone at the time.

Your talent for Miss Alabama was dance, performing a ballet en pointe routine to “Flashdance.” What makes dance important or satisfying for you?

It is a space for me to let go. I don’t have to think about anything else. I can just let everything go. When I walk into the dance studio, you just let go and do it and have fun doing it. It’s hard and it hurts sometimes, but that’s the fun in it. There is is no feeling like nailing a turn, nailing a jump, or balancing for longer than you did the last time. That’s where the joy is in dance for me. It’s a space for me to just really be free, express myself.

That was why this year’s piece was so special to me. It’s a story of perseverance and continuing to chase your dream. That was what was running through my mind as I performed that piece: This is my dream, this is my moment, and I am going to dance for my life on this stage.

Miss Alabama and Miss America both place an emphasis on health and fitness. What are your thoughts on that?

There isn’t an ideal body in my mind. There is only healthy. What is your algorithm to health? That’s the campaign that I’d like to push and have in partnership with the Miss America Fit campaign. I have an imperfect balance in my life. I’m not perfect all the time. People ask me all the time, “What do you eat? What do you do?” And I’m like, “Well, I eat, first of all.” I make sure that my body is fueled. I’m not just eating lettuce and chicken all the time. I ate pasta last night at dinner, but I paired it with a protein.

Diet culture is so pervasive in today’s society. Don’t even get me started on things I have seen on TikTok and how scary it is, because I know that I was influenced by figures in the media and by what I saw — TV, movies, even social media as I got older. That influenced how I saw myself and how I saw my body image. I just I really hope that a more positive culture surrounding wellness is more pervasive than the diet culture that is running rampant in our society.

It’s not just about being a certain size or a certain weight. It is about taking care of yourself mentally and physically. I struggled with an eating disorder throughout middle and high school. It took me so long to retrain my brain to think differently about health and wellness. I am very encouraged that I’ve had this platform, to share a more balanced lifestyle than what you would typically think of with a titleholder.

You’ll have a yearlong reign as Miss Alabama. What are some things you’d like to accomplish during that time?

One of my big goals as Miss Alabama is recruitment. We have to focus on bringing more young women to the organization so that we can propel ourselves for the next century of supporting and empowering women. Service is something else that’s really important to me, just continuing to advocate for the ALS community.

I have a partnership with Dr. Richard Bedlack and Duke University, and we’re working on establishing a fundraiser and event to celebrate Stomping Out ALS Day in the state of Alabama. That’s in honor of my grandfather. I worked with Rep. Susan DuBose and the (Alabama) House of Representatives to have Feb. 11 designated as Stomping Out ALS Day. Stewart’s Race 3 is happening in November, so I’ll be able to do that as Miss Alabama this year. And I really want to establish that legacy of service and kindness and recruitment.

What qualities do you have that will make you an effective Miss Alabama?

I am an adaptable person. I am respectful, resilient. And there are my life experiences — being a caregiver, being from a single-parent household, someone that’s overcome an eating disorder.

I had heart surgery in March, and that was hard. I had a (cardiac) ablation. I was the youngest patient there that day. They found an extra concealed pathway that was causing deathly high heart rates. If I had let the problem go on, my heart could have exploded. Even though it’s a fairly common procedure, it was a challenge for me to overcome because I didn’t expect that to happen.

All of that came together and it showed me that the Lord put those obstacles and those challenges in my path purposefully, so that I could overcome those and become a resilient and adaptable person.

Miss Alabama winners tend to be achievers. Would you describe yourself as an achiever?

Yes. There are people that can’t sit still and always have to do something. But I have learned over time that I have to take that time for myself. I have to take that time to watch a movie with my best friend, Shelby (Harrison), and take that time to rest. I have learned how to balance always going and achieving and striving for more with that rest.

I believe success is not a peak. I don’t want to reach the peak. Miss Alabama, for me, is not the peak of my success. I’m 22 years old. This organization is a springboard and propels me into my future. I will never look at someone and say I am successful. Because if I am successful, then what’s after that? There’s only down from there. I want to always be working for more and constantly achieving. So for me, success doesn’t mean a peak, but it means striving for more. That is the type of achiever and the type of person I am.

How did it feel to be among a group of women who are also achievers, as part of the Miss Alabama organization?

One unique thing about the Miss Alabama experience that is so special: You have this sisterhood. I did not have a typical childhood. I grew up as a caregiver. My grandfather started experiencing symptoms of ALS when my mom was pregnant with me. I didn’t do the typical Friday night thing as a teenager. I didn’t always go to the football games. I didn’t always have time with my friends. Friends would call me like, “Hey, you want to go do this?” And then I would have to say, “I can’t, we have a crisis.” Or “My mom has taken my grandmother to the grocery store. I’m the only person that can be with my grandfather.”

So when I entered this organization, I found a sisterhood of people. I found my friends and my family here. The beautiful part of it is that not only did I find my friends, but I found a group of like-minded young women who want to achieve, and understand (being) busy, and understand that there’s so much going on.

You have a close relationship with Miss Alabama 2021, Lauren Bradford. She was there to see you win the crown. What kind of encouragement did she give you?

She texted me all week. She was praying over me, and she was like, “I’m praying you through it. You don’t have to respond. I know you’re busy, but I love you so much, sister.” That’s what she tells me. She looked at me (after the finale) and both of us were crying like babies. I called her the next morning and said, “I woke up and I’m Miss Alabama.” And she said, “Yes, you are. You deserve this.”

She set such an incredible example as Miss Alabama, and set the bar so high. She is a role model for me, always has been. And genuinely a sister, like the big sister that I never had. I love her so much.

Miss Alabama and Miss America talk about nurturing strong, empowered women. Do you think of yourself as a feminist?

I believe there’s a connotation surrounding feminism that could be politically misconstrued or controversial. But when I think of feminism, I think of empowerment and I think of strong female role models. I have been surrounded by that my entire life. When I think of empowering women and what the Miss America organization stands for in my definition of feminism, I am a feminist. I am absolutely for empowering women. Empowering women to achieve. Empowering women to excel at life. So that’s what feminism is to me. That’s why I’m going to continue to be involved with this organization, because I believe in empowering great women for the world and empowering the world for great women.

Is this a good time to be a woman in the state of Alabama?

I think this is a very positive time to be a woman in the state of Alabama. (U.S. Sen) Katie Britt, whether you agree with her politics or not, she’s a woman working at the national level to represent her people and her state. And I think she’s doing a very good job at that. I respect her for the scrutiny that she’s under, and for the scrutiny that she faces as a woman in politics.

I think there are so many incredible things that you can do as a woman in the state of Alabama. Not only can you be recognized for your Southern characteristics and your mannerisms, but there’s something to be said about being a Southern woman. There is strength, there is grit, and there is resilience. I think that is still true today. It’s a fantastic time to be a woman in the South.

What would be your response to people who say Miss Alabama is outdated and irrelevant, or that it’s all about being pretty?

First of all, I would tell them that is a stereotype and that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I also think I would approach them with my story of how I have been able to excel in life because of this program — not because I’ve learned how to do my makeup or because I’ve learned how to operate a curling iron, but because I’ve learned how to interview. I’ve learned how to develop an opinion on very difficult topics, and learned how to have hard conversations about difficult topics, and learned how to meet someone in the middle when they don’t agree with me or when I don’t agree with them.

This organization prepares you for life and being on a stage. It goes back to that quote, “Greatness happens on the edge of discomfort.” You don’t have to win to be great. You don’t have to win Miss Alabama to reap the benefits of this organization. That’s when you see people’s minds change. You can see them tilt their head and they say, “Oh, I had no idea that Miss America was the largest provider of scholarships for young women in the world.” “I had no idea that you had to interview. I had no idea that they were allowed to ask you about current events.” “I had no idea that you had to have a community service initiative.” All of these things are just not widely known.

Part of my year as Miss Alabama is going to be about sharing my personal story, my experience with this organization, and showing people that the Miss Alabama experience is about more than what’s on the surface. It truly is this life-changing, deep experience that changes your perspective on the world.

Our state seems very polarized right now. There are many social and political issues that divide us. How can Miss Alabama be a force for unity when the people you’re going to meet are so divided?

When you say “divided,” my mind immediately goes to politics and the things that really are dividing our country right now. I was asked in my Miss Alabama interview: “Is it Miss Alabama’s place to speak on politics and political issues?” I said, “No, I don’t believe it’s Miss Alabama’s place to speak on political topics, or make her personal opinions known outside of the interview room or even outside of the organization. Everyone should be involved.”

That is the thing about Miss Alabama. She can unify people because she can talk about scholarships, empowering women, and giving young women opportunities to succeed in life. Who can’t get behind that? Who isn’t going to be unified behind that, unified behind community service initiatives? You may not have a direct connection to ALS, but you may have a connection to cancer. You may have a connection to someone else’s platform, and you can support them. That’s where the unity comes in. I believe there’s so much kindness and service at the heart of our organization, and that’s how Miss Alabama can be a unifying figure.

People are usually excited to meet Miss Alabama. You’re a public figure now. Are you going to be on point with everything — your clothes, your makeup, your hair, whatever else — when you walk out the door?

Even before being crowned Miss Alabama, it was always a rule that I wanted to be ready and look the part for the job I wanted. Obviously, I’m going to be real. I’m not going to be leaving the house in a full face of makeup with fake eyelashes and curled hair every day. But I want to be put together, because I recognize that as Miss Alabama, I’m a role model. Not only am I a role model, but I’m representing the Miss Alabama class of 2025. I’m the face of the organization, our brand ambassador. So I may not be full glam at all times, but I am going to be put together.

How do you feel about heels?

I love heels. I mean, I’m a ballet dancer. I dance on my toes. I can wear some heels, but I do keep an extra pair of tennis shoes. If I’m in-between things, between appearances, doing errands, I’m not wearing the heels. I’m throwing on the Nike Air Maxes.

Do you have a celebrity role model?

Obviously, I think of Miss Americas as celebrities. I think my most recent celebrity role model is Eric Dane from “Grey’s Anatomy.” Eric Dane is especially a role model to me now, because of how open and transparent he has been about his ALS diagnosis, and how he is bringing awareness to a cause that is near and dear to my heart. He did a fantastic interview on “Good Morning America” about his ALS.

He’s not letting it stop him. He’s being open. What bravery and what courage it takes to share that after being this Hollywood star, being seen as this heartthrob and this strong character on a very prominent show. To be so open and vulnerable about his diagnosis is incredible to me.

This may seem like a strange question, since you were born and raised in Alabama, but do you feel Southern?

I am Southern through and through. I was raised by two strong Southern women, and I love it. I’m proud to be a Southerner, and I am proud to be from Alabama. I think it goes back to that resilience and grit. As a Southern woman, you find a way and you learn to do things with elegance and with grace. A previous generation would cover up stuff, but now we’re in a day and age where we can share our stories. I’ve learned how to take things in stride and be elegant and graceful and polite through all of it.

What is the one thing you would like people to know about you as the new Miss Alabama?

I want them to know that I am a normal person. I am somebody who prioritizes transparency and vulnerability. But I’m also somebody who prioritizes kindness. There’s a very famous quote from Maya Angelou: “At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” I want my kindness and my service to make a difference, because I genuinely want to make a difference in the state of Alabama. I want to impact people to make a difference in their lives.