At the 2024 Miss America pageant on Sunday night, history was created with the crowning of Miss Colorado Madison Marsh.
In the nearly 100-year history of the pageant, she is recognized as the first active-duty military service member to achieve this title, as reported by the U.S. Air Force.
A recent graduate from the Air Force Academy in Colorado, Marsh, 22, holds the rank of second lieutenant in the Air Force.
Expressing her enthusiasm in an interview featured on Miss America’s Instagram story, Marsh stated, “I’m very excited to represent women who can break stereotypes.” She further conveyed her anticipation of sharing insights into “what it means to be a member of the military community and Miss America.”
In response to the question about advice she wishes to convey to other women, Marsh remarked, “Anything can be achieved. The limit is not the sky, and the only obstacle in your way is yourself,” she shared.
Marsh’s victory was celebrated by the U.S. Air Force, and a post featuring photos of Marsh in uniform and securing the Miss America title was shared on X, previously known as Twitter.
The photos were captioned by the Air Force with the hashtag #AimHigh.
Her competition biography reveals that Marsh, who holds a degree in physics with a focus on astronomy, graduated from the Air Force Academy. Currently, she is engaged in pursuing a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School.
In an interview with The Harvard Crimson, the university’s newspaper, similarities between military service and pageantry were highlighted by Marsh. She explained that in both capacities, “you’re serving but in a different way.”
She articulated, “When I put on my uniform, service and representation of our country take place. When I put on the crown and sash, service and representation of my community are fulfilled.”
Crowned as Miss Colorado in May of last year, Marsh disclosed to the newspaper that her involvement in pageants commenced during her initial year at the Air Force Academy.
She remarked, “If it weren’t for attending the Air Force Academy, I don’t believe I would have been admitted to Harvard. Likewise, without the Air Force Academy, I doubt I would have attained the title of Miss Colorado because they have guided and refined my leadership skills.”
In the talent segment of the Miss America competition, a spoken word piece about achieving her private pilot’s license at the age of 16 was presented by Marsh.
In her post-win interview shared on Miss America’s Instagram story, Marsh expressed her intention to dedicate her year of service as Miss America to raising awareness about pancreatic cancer, a disease that resulted in the passing of her mother. The foundation established by Marsh for pancreatic cancer research and advocacy is named the Whitney Marsh Foundation, in honor of her late mother.
“I really want to go global with pancreatic cancer and share my mom’s story. I aim to raise funds and boost research efforts for pancreatic cancer,” conveyed Marsh.
