Miss Goldsboro nets another pageant win
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on November 24, 2014 1:46 PM
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Miss Goldsboro Emily Tucker is crowned "Miss Greater Sampson County" by Miss North Carolina Beth Stovall Saturday evening in Newton Grove. Both young women are from Goldsboro.
For the second time in two years, a Miss Goldsboro went on to capture the crown as Miss Greater Sampson County and is now positioned to vie for the state title held by her predecessor next spring.
Reigning Miss North Carolina, Beth Stovall, was Miss Goldsboro 2013 and when her reign ended, took the 2014 Miss Greater Sampson County title before winning the state crown.
Emily Tucker, Miss Goldsboro 2014, recently completed her one-year contract with the local organization, even though the pageant to name her successor was moved until January 2015.
Saturday night, she was named Miss Greater Sampson County.
A 2009 graduate of Eastern Wayne High School and 2013 graduate of East Carolina University, the 23-year-old competed against three other contestants for the preliminary crown. The event was held at Hobbton High School in Newton Grove.
It had a bit of a deja vu feel for the two young women from Goldsboro, Miss Tucker admitted.
"She crowned me Miss Goldsboro and she crowned me as Miss Greater Sampson County," she said of Miss Stovall, a Rosewood High School graduate.
Were the streak to continue and Miss Tucker were to walk away with the state title, it would be "amazing," she said.
"I'm hoping for the best, that's for sure," she said.
In her bid at last year's Miss North Carolina competition, she was named to the Top 11.
The opera singer performed "Robert, toi que j'aime" from a French opera by Meyerbeer, at both the state pageant and again Saturday night.
The daughter of John and Tawnya Tucker, the experience as a military child -- her father is retired Air Force -- is reflected in her platform. "United We Stand, Together We Serve," is designed to instill patriotism in young people through education and service.
She continues to be accompanied in her reign by Samantha Eubanks, 7, a second-grader at Tommy's Road Elementary School, as Carolina Princess.
Along with her duties in the new role, Miss Tucker says she will still be representing the local organization and crown her successor on Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre.
"I live in Goldsboro. I'm forever a Goldsboro girl," she said.
She has already counted down to the next contest, being held in.
"Exactly 30 weeks for Miss North Carolina 2015 and I'm just excited to be going back," she said. "I think it's going to be a little bit of a different experience. I'm ready to make memories with the girls, to take what I learned last year, learn from it and be the best me that I can be."