U.S. Air Force Officer Madison Marsh Soars to Victory as 2024 Miss America: Breaking Barriers Beyond the Skies.
The title has been claimed by 22-year-old Second Lieutenant, marking the first-ever victory for an active-duty Air Force officer.
Madison Marsh, a 22-year-old U.S. Air Force officer and a master’s student at the Harvard Kennedy School’s public policy program, was named Miss America 2024 in Orlando on Sunday, according to CNN. Marsh had previously represented the state of Colorado.
In an interview posted on Miss America’s Instagram story, Marsh delivered an inspiring message, saying, “You have the potential to accomplish anything. The sky is not the limit, and the only obstacle in your path is yourself.” She went on to express that if she could emerge from a small town without prior pageant experience and enter the world of pageantry, then anyone else could do the same.
Madison Marsh, holding the rank of second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, has achieved the distinction of being the inaugural active-duty Air Force officer to be bestowed with the title of Miss America. She takes over the title from Grace Stanke of Wisconsin, who held the Miss America crown in 2023. Stanke was in attendance on Sunday to pass the crown to Marsh.
The U.S. Air Force marked Marsh’s victory with a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, referring to her as “our very own.”
A total of 51 contestants, representing various U.S. states and the District of Columbia, participated in the competition. Preliminary judges selected 10 of these contestants to advance to the pageant, while an additional contestant was chosen through public voting, leading to a total of 11 semi-finalists.
Following the selection of 11 semi-finalists, a series of four rounds of competition ensued before narrowing them down to five finalists. These rounds included a fitness runway walk, a discussion on “hot topics,” a talent showcase, and an evening gown presentation.
The finalists were then required to articulate their dreams and aspirations as Miss America.
According to CNN, Madison Marsh shared a personal story during the “hot topics” discussion, recounting her mother’s battle with pancreatic cancer. In the talent show round, she chose to perform a spoken word piece about obtaining her pilot’s license at the age of 16.
In anticipation of the pageant, Marsh discussed her motivation for participating in an interview with SWNS, as reported by The New York Post. She expressed, “It’s an incredible opportunity to merge the two aspects of my life that I hold dear and, hopefully, create a positive impact by showing that there are no limits to what one can achieve.”
She went on to elaborate, saying, “In the military, there’s ample room to lead in your own unique way, both in and out of uniform. I felt that pageantry, particularly winning the title of Miss Colorado, offered a platform to truly exemplify this and set a precedent for others to feel encouraged in discovering what matters most to them.”
