×Miss Alabama 2025 Emma Terry placed fourth runner-up in Miss America 2026 in Orlando on Sept. 7.

The lights shimmered across a half-sparkle, half-velvet purple gown as Emma Terry walked the Miss America stage with poise and purpose.

Behind her composed smile and sleek ponytail was the motto she carries from her late grandfather’s 22-year battle with ALS: “Build a higher road.”

Terry, 22, a Leeds native and former Miss Hoover, turned that life lesson into a performance that earned her fourth runner-up at Miss America 2026 in Orlando. She also was a finalist for the Quality of Life Award, which honors community service, and received $10,000 in scholarships across the two honors.

The achievement capped an already historic stretch for Hoover’s pageant tradition. Terry followed in the foot

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