She's serving our country and she's serving on the pageant stage.
Madison Marsh, a 22-year-old second lieutenant in the US Air Force and a master's student at the Harvard Kennedy School's public policy program, achieved a historic victory at the 2024 Miss America pageant held in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday night.
Representing the state of Colorado, Marsh became the first active-duty Air Force officer ever to be crowned Miss America, per CNN.
Marsh's impressive journey also includes her role as the co-founder of the Whitney Marsh Foundation, an organization established in memory of her mother, who tragically lost her life to pancreatic cancer in 2018.
Speaking about the foundation, Marsh explained to the Miss Colorado website: "My mom was a huge runner, even when she was going through chemotherapy treatments. When we talked about ways to raise money, we wanted it to remember who my mom was and not what cancer had made her.
"So we started the Whitney Marsh Foundation and specifically hosted a 5K and 10K run every year based out of our hometown in Fort Smith, Arkansas."
To date, the foundation has successfully raised over a quarter of a million dollars.
In a recent interview with The Harvard Crimson, Marsh also drew parallels between her military service and participation in pageantry, stating: "When I put on my uniform, I serve, and I represent our country. When I put on the crown and sash, I'm serving, representing my community."
The 2024 Miss America winner will receive $60,000 in tuition scholarships and the opportunity to serve as the Miss America brand ambassador, traveling throughout the country.
Ellie Breaux of Texas was the first runner-up in the pageant.
The competition consisted of three nights of preliminary rounds, with the main event featuring 11 semi-finalists, including 10 selected by preliminary judges and one chosen by a public vote open to pageant enthusiasts nationwide.
These 11 contestants participated in various rounds, showcasing their fitness, engaging in discussions on "hot topics," demonstrating their talents, and presenting evening gowns. Ultimately, the final five were announced, with Marsh and Breaux leading the rankings, followed by Cydney Bridges of Indiana, Mallory Hudson of Kentucky, and Caroline Parente of Rhode Island.
During the unconventional discussion round, which covered diverse topics like terrorism, technology, nutrition, and climate change, Marsh responded to the theme of "drugs in America" by sharing her mother's battle with pancreatic cancer. For her talent performance, she delivered a compelling spoken-word piece about obtaining her pilot's license at the age of 16.
The Miss America pageant featured 51 contestants representing all 50 US states, along with the District of Columbia. In the final round, the five finalists were asked about their goals as Miss America, with Marsh emphasizing her commitment to learning and leading "with passion" through her military service.
Madison Marsh succeeds Grace Stanke of Wisconsin, the 2023 Miss America.
The 2024 Miss America's Teen pageant, held the night before, crowned 16-year-old Hanley House of North Carolina as the winner.
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