- Marsh, 22, was crowned Miss America last month, becoming the first active-duty military member to win the title.
- In a recent interview, she talked about how her dueling roles as pageant queen and soldier broke stereotypes about women.
Following last month’s historic win, Miss America Madison Marsh wants young women around the world to learn from her that they can “do anything they want” by breaking through stereotypes. I believe.
In an interview with Fox Digital, Marsh, who was the first active-duty Air Force officer to be crowned Miss America, said that since she won, she has felt that female service members “feel more comfortable reaching their potential.” “I’m here,” he said. Be feminine, wear a uniform, and still be taken seriously. ”
“It meant the world to me. It may be something we still struggle with, but now we’re all really lucky to be in it together and break the stereotypes.” said the 22-year-old.
“Even if you don’t want to join the military, you can still define the stereotypes and the boxes you fit into,” she says.
“You can show the world what you’re passionate about and put everything else aside. Sometimes the stereotype of a military woman competing in a pageant was contradictory. Now, both stereotypes are You can shatter stereotypes at the same time. I want to prove to all young women that you can really do anything you want.”
The current master’s degree candidate said the Air Force has continued to congratulate her since her big win.
She said her co-workers and bosses are “very excited and supportive” of her new title.
The Air Force posted a post to X in January celebrating Marsh’s victory.
“Congratulations to our #Airman, 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, aka Miss Colorado, for being crowned @MissAmerica 2024!
“Marsh is the first active duty military member to earn the title. #AimHigh,” read the post.
In addition to inspiring young women and girls, Marsh said her big goal after being crowned is to raise awareness and support for pancreatic cancer, which killed her mother in 2018 at just 41 years old. he said.
“As a family, we got to watch her go through chemotherapy. But we also got to watch her meet all these amazing people, including the doctors and nurses. .They did everything they could to extend her life so we could have her a little longer.
“It’s very important to me to represent Americans who want to help their own people,” she told Fox.
She added that despite the glamor of pageants, especially Miss America, the most important part of pageants is “having a passion to serve.”
“Miss America is one of the largest providers of scholarships to women. I received over $70,000 in educational scholarships, which can be life-changing for many women…and “To me, that’s the most beautiful part of the organization,” she said.
Marsh, who studied at Harvard University, graduated from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and was commissioned as an Air Force officer last year.
The Arkansas native decided to try competing in competitions as an extracurricular activity while attending USAFA.
She says she loves participating in pageants because of the “community service aspect” and the emphasis on public speaking. She also praises how the contest system has evolved, especially when it comes to women’s fitness.
“The pageant is changing, and one of the ways it’s changing is what it means to be physically healthy for women,” Marsh explained.
“For me, it’s great because I have to stay fit and go to the gym for the military, so it overlaps with my pageant training already.”
She entered her first competition while attending USAFA. She says, “As a new student at the academy, you may struggle to find your identity in a very new and challenging environment.”
“My cousin has been competing in pageants for a long time, and one of the big things I like about pageants is the emphasis on the community service aspect and public speaking.”
Three years later, Marsh was crowned Miss Colorado, which she called “very surreal.”
As Miss Colorado, Marsh enjoys talking to other young girls about being a pilot and serving in the military, and sees it as an opportunity to dispel the stereotypes that exist about military women.
She said, “It’s been a great experience to bring together both aspects of my favorite parts of life, and I’ve made changes to help others understand that they don’t have to limit themselves.” I hope it brings.”
“In the military, it’s an open space where you can really lead the way you want, both in and out of uniform. Pageants, especially winning the Miss Colorado award, are a way to truly embody that and encourage others to… We felt this was a way to set the tone for people to feel more comfortable finding what is most meaningful to them.”
Marsh was also quick to address many of the preconceptions and stereotypes about beauty pageants and their contestants.
“The Miss America organization that I am currently a part of focuses on what you can offer your community through social impact and that you have a strong resume, public speaking “We’re making sure you’re good at it and that you’re empowered to connect with people and lead in other ways than just yourself,” she explained.
Marsh loved science from an early age and dreamed of becoming a pilot or astronaut. Her parents supported her dreams and sent her to a space camp when she was 13, where she met astronauts and fighter pilots.
Around that time, she learned about USAFA and began taking flying lessons at age 15. She earned her pilot’s license after her second year and began working towards her goal of becoming a cadet.
Marsh’s future could be as a Top Gun fighter pilot.
Upon graduating from USAFA and joining the Air Force, she earned a coveted pilot slot and is currently deciding on career opportunities and personal projects she would like to pursue.
But after losing her mother to pancreatic cancer, Marsh may pursue a career in cancer research.
She said: “I lost my mother to pancreatic cancer about five years ago, and soon after, my family and I started a non-profit organization to raise money and awareness for people in our town.
“I am now taking the next step and using what I learned at the Kennedy School to learn how policy actually works and how difficult it is.
“Issues such as the economic environment and other social pressures may inhibit the ability to implement cancer policies that can impact all Americans.”
In September, Marsh began a two-year master’s degree program in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School to the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Civilian Institutions Program.
She will also work with professors at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School to study early detection of pancreatic cancer.
“As I neared the end of my time at USAFA, I began to realize that my greater passion lay in policy development and cancer research, which is why I ultimately enrolled at the Kennedy School,” she added. .