By Debbie Adams
William Byrd High School senior Emily Tuck was crowned as Miss Vinton Dogwood Festival
Queen for 2024 in a ceremony at the Vinton Municipal Building at noon on April 27. She was
crowned by Vinton Mayor Brad Grose.
School senior Emily Tuck was crowned Miss Vinton Dogwood Festival Queen for 2024 by
Vinton Mayor Brad Grose at the Vinton Municipal Building on April 27. (photos by Debbie Adams)
Tuck is one of 10 young women nominated by the faculty at William Byrd for the prestigious
Dogwood Queen’s Court. The queen is chosen by a panel of judges the morning of the festival
after individual interviews.
Other members of the 2024 Queen’s Court were Olaedo Anyanwu, Jaslyn Bibby, Sydney
Blewett, Kathryn Bryant, Elizabeth Dixon, Claire Glover, Makenna Jacobsen, Emma Kageals,
and Addisyn St. Clair.
One of the judges noted that this year was quite a challenge as all the girls were high achievers
academically, heavily involved in extracurricular activities and the community, and all
interviewed well.
Tuck is the daughter of Melissa and Kevin Tuck. She plans to attend Virginia Tech and major in
elementary education and return to Vinton to teach at her former elementary school– Herman L.
Horn.
She has played volleyball for WBHS and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes,
DECA, the Beta Club, the Reindeer Club, the International Club, Teachers for Tomorrow, and
Young Life. She and her friends lead a girls’ Bible study group. She works at Honey Tree 460
and volunteers in the nursery at Bonsack Baptist.
Emily is not the only member of her family to participate in the Dogwood Queen’s Court
tradition. Her cousin Madison Tuck was Dogwood Queen two years ago in 2022; her sister
Reagan was on the Dogwood Court in 2021; and her mother Melissa was a member of the court
in 1995.
Another family also shares the Dogwood tradition. Olaedo Anyanwu’s three sisters have been
members of the Dogwood Court– Urunna in 2021, Ozioma in 2018, and Kpakpando in 2015 and
now Olaedo in 2024.
The ceremony opened with “God Bless America” performed by Floyd Boone and the Roanoke
Symphony Chorus Quartet.
After the name of the new queen was revealed, she was presented with a scholarship check for
$750 from Dogwood Festival President Dr. Jeff Teass.
President Dr. Jeff Teass presents a scholarship check to Dogwood Queen Emily Tuck.
Each member of the Dogwood Court also received the traditional Dogwood necklace as a memento of the occasion. After a reception, the young women boarded beautifully decorated horse-drawn carriages from Lexington Carriage Company for the Dogwood Strolling Parade downtown.
