TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — It’s been almost a month since the new Miss Troy University was crowned, but who is this new queen? Her journey may be vastly different than some would expect.

“I felt like my voice was never heard,” said Miss Troy University, 2026, Anna Grace Tucker . “My confidence was really low and used to be bullied severely.”

That’s a look into Tucker’s young mind, as a little girl suffering from a speech sound disorder called Apraxia, which affects someone’s ability to plan and coordinate the mouth movements that allow them to speak clearly, despite knowing exactly what they want to say. Because of her disorder, Tucker wasn’t able to express herself the way she truly wanted to, until she found a way to overcome it.

“I was very blessed to be able to participate in speech therapy, not a lot of people can do speech therapy so that’s why I want to raise awareness about what it is and how you can help your neighbor who has a speech disorder or to feel confident in yourself,” Tucker said.

Now that she has the crown, Tucker plans to use her platform to share her speech disorder awareness initiative, “Say It Out Loud.” 

ORIGINAL COVERAGE: Anna Grace Tucker crowned Miss Troy University 2026

“So, I’ve written a book called ‘Gracie Rose’ about a little girl who has a speech disorder, and it starts in a classroom setting where her teacher tells them to tell the class about their favorite thing,” Tucker said. “This may seem like a small task but to Gracie Rose this was a very big task because the students would bully her and make fun of her.” 

The story was inspired by Tucker’s  real life experience with Apraxia. She hopes to use this book to make children with similar struggles feel less alone. 

“It was about me, a story about how I was scared to talk in front of other people but I’ve been able to overcome it and I love to tell my story to other people so hopefully they can overcome things that have in life,” Tucker said.

Looking forward, Tucker is excited to tak on her responsibilities as the new Miss Troy and continue to inspire those around her.

“To be a part of a legacy as Miss Troy and to continue that legacy is a huge responsibility but I am so excited to full in the shoes from the Miss Troy’s that have come before me,” Tucker said.

Her next pageant, the Miss Alabama Pageant, will take place June 3-6, 2026.