Miss America to GI Jane: Beauty queen Madison Marsh says serving in the US Air Force is 'breaking stereotypes' and proving to women 'you can be whatever you want'

• Marsh, 22, was crowned Miss America last month, becoming the first ever active-duty servicemember to earn the title 
• She spoke in a recent interview about how her dueling roles as a pageant queen and servicemember shatter stereotypical expectations for women 

Following her historic win last month, Miss America Madison Marsh wants young women everywhere to learn from her that breaking stereotypes will enable them to ‘do whatever you want.’

In an interview with Fox Digital, Marsh, the first ever active-duty Air Force officer to be crowned Miss America, said that since her win, military women have been reaching out to her to say they ‘feel more comfortable about displaying how you can be feminine and in uniform and still be taken seriously.’

‘That meant the world to me. It’s something that we might still struggle with today, but I’m really lucky we can now all be a part of it together and take down those stereotypes,’ said the 22-year-old.

‘Even if you don’t want to join the military, you can define those stereotypes, those boxes you put yourself in,’ she said.

‘You can show the world what you’re passionate about and put everything else aside. There were times when the stereotype of a military woman who competes in pageants conflicted. Now, I’m able to break both of those stereotypes simultaneously. I hope to prove to all young women that you really can do whatever you want.’

Miss America Madison Marsh attends The American Heart Association’s Red Dress Collection Concert 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on January 31, 2024 in New York City

The current master’s degree candidate said the Air Force has not stopped congratulating her since her big win.

She said her peers and superiors have been ‘so excited and supportive’ of her new title.

The Air Force posted to X in January, celebrating Marsh’s win.

‘Congratulations to our very own #Airman, 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, aka Miss Colorado – who was just crowned @MissAmerica 2024!

‘Marsh is the first active duty servicemember to ever win the title. #AimHigh,’ read the post.

In addition to inspiring young women and girls, Marsh said that a major post-crown goal of hers is to raise awareness and support for pancreatic cancer, which her mother died from in 2018 at just 41-years-old.

‘As a family, we had to watch her go through chemotherapy. But we also watched her meet all of these wonderful people – the doctors, the nurses – who did all they could to help elongate her life, so we could be with her a little longer.

‘Representing the Americans who want to help our people is extremely important to me,’ she told Fox.

She added that, despite the glitz and glam of pageantry, especially the Miss America pageant, the most important part of the competition is ‘having a passion to serve.’

‘Miss America is one of the largest providers of scholarships for women. I got over $70,000 in educational scholarships. That can be life-changing for so many women … And to me, that’s the most beautiful part of the organization,’ she said.

The 22-year-old Harvard University student was crowned Miss Colorado in May 2023, just before graduating from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and commissioning as an Air Force Officer. She is pictured preparing for her familiarization flight at Nellis Air Force Base last month

Marsh (pictured), an Arkansas native, decided to try competing in pageants as an extracurricular activity while at USAFA and will now make a bid for the Miss America crown in Florida on Sunday

Marsh, who studied at Harvard University graduated from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and commissioned as an Air Force Officer last year.

The Arkansas native decided to try competing in pageants as an extracurricular activity while at USAFA.

She’s said she loves competing in pageants because of the ‘community service aspects’ and the focus on public speaking. She also applauds how the pageant system has evolved, especially with regard to women’s fitness.

‘Pageants are changing and one of the ways is in what being physically fit means to women,’ Marsh explained.

‘For me, it’s great because I need to stay physically fit and in the gym for the military, so it already coincides with pageant training.’

She participated in her first pageant while attending USAFA. She said: ‘As a freshman at the Academy, you might have a hard time finding your identity in a very new and challenging environment.

‘My cousin had competed in pageants for a long time, and one of the big things about it that I love is the community service aspect and the focus on public speaking.’

Three years later, Marsh was crowned Miss Colorado, which she said was ‘very surreal.’

Marsh. pictured preparing for her familiarization flight, believes she is the first active duty officer from any military branch to represent at the national level of the Miss America organization

Marsh, pictured last month prior to her familiarization flight at Nellis Air Force Base, enjoys talking with other young girls about being a pilot and serving in the military and sees it as an opportunity to dispel stereotypes that exist about military women

As Miss Colorado, Marsh enjoys talking with other young girls about being a pilot and serving in the military and sees it as an opportunity to dispel stereotypes that exist about military women.

She said: ‘It’s an awesome experience to bring both sides of the favorite parts of my life together and hopefully make a difference for others to be able to realize that you don’t have to limit yourself.

‘In the military, it’s an open space to really lead in the way that you want to lead – in and out of uniform. I felt like pageants, and specifically winning Miss Colorado, was a way to truly exemplify that and to set the tone to help make other people feel more comfortable finding what means most to them.’

Marsh was also quick to address the many preconceived notions and stereotypes about beauty pageants and their contestants.

‘The Miss America organization that I’m a part of now is all focused on what you can provide for the community through your social impact, making sure that you have a stellar resume, that you’re good at public speaking, that you can connect with people and are empowered to lead in other ways that’s not just about you,’ she explained.

Upon graduation from USAFA and commissioning into the Air Force, Marsh (pictured) received a coveted pilot slot and is currently determining the career opportunities and personal projects she wants to pursue

Madison Marsh, prepares for her familiarization flight at Nellis Air Force Base last month

Madison Marsh poses for a photo with Ricky the Recruiter at the USAFA vs. U.S. Army football game at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver on November 6, 2023

Marsh is the first active-duty officer from any military branch to represent the Miss America organization nationally

From a young age, Marsh had a love of science and a dream to be a pilot and astronaut. Her parents encouraged her dreams, sending her to Space Camp when she was 13 years old where she met astronauts and fighter pilots.

Around that time, she learned about the USAFA and at 15 years old, started flying lessons. She earned her pilot’s license two years later and then began to work towards her goal of becoming a cadet.

Now Marsh’s future may now see her as a Top Gun fighter pilot.

Upon graduation from USAFA and commissioning into the Air Force, she received a coveted pilot slot and is currently determining the career opportunities and personal projects she wants to pursue.

However, the loss of her mother to pancreatic cancer may see Marsh take a career in cancer research.

She said: ‘I lost my mom about five years ago to pancreatic cancer and I started a nonprofit almost immediately afterwards with my family to raise money and awareness of pancreatic cancer for people in our town.

‘I’m now trying to take the next step and use my studies from the Kennedy School to learn about the inner workings and the difficulties of what policy really looks like.

US Air Force 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh sizes up a flight suit in preparation for a familiarization flight at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada on December 18, 2023

US Air Force 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh (right) prepares for her familiarization flight at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada on December 19, 2023

Madison Marsh (left) steps out for her familiarization flight at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada on December 19, 2023

‘Issues like economic environments and other social pressures that might be inhibiting our ability to implement cancer policies that can affect all Americans.’

In September, Marsh started a two-year master’s degree program in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School through the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Civilian Institution Programs.

She will also work with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and a professor from the Harvard Medical School to research early detection of pancreatic cancer.

‘Towards the end of my time at USAFA, I started to realize that my bigger passions were in policy making and cancer research so that’s why I ended up at the Kennedy School,’ she added.

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