When the announcement came Thursday night at the bonfire, Demopolis High senior Tierra McNealey was stunned that she had just been named DHS Homecoming Queen.

“I didn’t even expect to get it,” McNealey said. “When they called my name on the intercom, I was like, ‘Really? Are you sure?’ I was shocked. It almost brought tears to my eyes. It made my mom proud of me.”

The daughter of Dorothy McNealey, Tierra selected older brother Zack to be her escort for Friday night’s ceremonies.

“It felt special to me,” she said. “He’s my oldest brother and a father figure.”

Tierra indicated she is not involved in many extracirricular activities and believes her Homecoming Queen selection to be directly related to the way she interacts with others.

“I think it’s how I treat people,” she said. “I try to treat people how I want to be treated.”

Tierra intends to be part of the DHS track team in the spring and hopes to attend the University of Alabama in the fall where she would likely study nursing in view of becoming a registered nurse.