On Sunday night at the 2024 Miss America pageant, a significant moment occurred. Miss Colorado Madison Marsh won the title, making history as the first active-duty military service member to do so in the pageant’s almost 100-year history, as confirmed by the U.S. Air Force.
Marsh, aged 22, holds the rank of second lieutenant in the Air Force and has recently graduated from the Air Force Academy in Colorado.
In an interview posted on Miss America’s Instagram account, Marsh stated, “I’m very excited to get to represent women who can break stereotypes.” She also expressed excitement about discussing “what it means to be a member of the military community and Miss America.”
In response to a question about advice she would like to give other women, Marsh stated, “You can achieve anything. The sky is not the limit and the only person that’s stopping you is you.”
The U.S. Air Force was happy about Marsh winning. They posted on X with pictures of Marsh in her Air Force uniform and as Miss America.
They added the hashtag #AimHigh to the photos.
Marsh finished her studies in physics at the Air Force Academy, with a focus on astronomy. Now, she’s working on a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, as mentioned in her competition biography.
In an interview with The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper, Marsh discussed the parallels she sees between pageantry and the military, stating that “you’re serving but in a different way” in both cases.
Marsh, who became Miss Colorado in May, shared with the newspaper that she began participating in pageants during her first year at the Air Force Academy.
“I don’t think I ever would have gotten into Harvard if I wouldn’t have gone to the Air Force Academy,” Marsh stated. “I don’t think I ever would have become Miss Colorado without the Air Force Academy because they have trained me and honed in on my leadership.”
During the Miss America talent segment, Marsh talked about getting her pilot’s license when she was 16. She wants to use her time as Miss America to bring attention to pancreatic cancer, the illness that took her mom’s life.
She has a foundation called the Whitney Marsh Foundation, dedicated to pancreatic cancer research and advocacy, named after her late mother.
Marsh stated in her post-win interview, which was posted on Miss America’s Instagram account, “I really want to be able to go global with pancreatic cancer and share my mom’s story and be able to raise money and increase research funds for pancreatic cancer.”
