Photo from Emma Terry Facebook page
The seven Miss America Quality of Life Award finalists are, from left, Miss New York Cassie Donegan, Miss Mississippi Anna Leah Jolly, Miss Rhode Island Alexia Rodrigues, Miss Michigan Hannah Palmer, Miss Alabama Emma Terry, Miss South Carolina Sarah Kay Wrenn and Miss Florida Paris Richardson.
Miss Alabama 2025 Emma Terry has been named one of seven finalists for the prestigious Miss America Quality of Life Award.
This recognition, announced during the arrival ceremony at the Miss America competition this week, honors delegates whose commitment to service has created measurable and lasting impacts in their communities. The award recognizes those who go beyond traditional pageant roles, using their platform to address important social issues and engage their communities in positive change.
Terry, a Leeds native and a 22-year-old graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham who was Miss Hoover 2025, has an initiative called “Stomping Out ALS One Step at a Time,” which honors her late grandfather who battled ALS. For years, she has been raising awareness and support for those affected by all aspects of the disease.
Other finalists for the award are Miss New York Cassie Donegan, Miss Mississippi Anna Leah Jolly, Miss Rhode Island Alexia Rodrigues, Miss Michigan Hannah Palmer, Miss South Carolina Sarah Kay Wrenn and Miss Florida Paris Richardson.
The woman who wins the award will receive a $10,000 scholarship, while the first runner-up will get $5,000, and the second runner-up will receive $2,500. The winners will be announced live on stage during the Miss America preliminary competition on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The preliminary on Wednesday and talent demonstrations on Thursday can be viewed for a fee at pageantvision.com. The Miss America finals will be livestreamed for free at pageantvision.com and on the Miss America YouTube channel.
Here is the schedule for this week’s activities:
- Tuesday, Sept. 2, 6 p.m. central time: Miss America’s Teen preliminary competition
- Wednesday, Sept. 3, 6 p.m. central time: Miss America preliminary competition
- Thursday, Sept. 4, 4:30 p.m. central time: talent preliminaries
- Friday, Sept. 5, 6 p.m. central time: Miss America Red Carpet Gala
- Saturday, Sept. 6, 6 p.m. central time: Miss America’s Teen Finals Show
- Sunday, Sept. 7, 6 p.m. central time: Miss America Finals
