In a historic turn of events, Madison Marsh, a 22-year-old second lieutenant in the US Air Force and master’s student at the Harvard Kennedy School’s public policy program, claimed victory at the 2024 Miss America pageant held in Orlando, Florida. Representing Colorado, Marsh becomes the first active-duty Air Force officer to secure the coveted national title.
Breaking Barriers in Beauty Pageants
Ellie Breaux of Texas emerged as the first-runner-up in a competition that featured fifty-one contestants representing all 50 US states, along with the District of Columbia. The pageant, held in Orlando, followed three nights of preliminary competitions, narrowing down the field to 11 semi-finalists — 10 chosen by preliminary judges and one selected through a public vote open to pageant enthusiasts nationwide.
The final competition comprised four rounds: a fitness showcase featuring a runway walk in rhinestone-embellished athleisure, a “hot topics” discussion round focusing on diverse subjects like terrorism, technology, nutrition, and climate change, a talent performance, and an evening gown presentation. The top five finalists included Cydney Bridges of Indiana, Mallory Hudson of Kentucky, and Caroline Parente of Rhode Island.
Madison Marsh Remarkable Journey
In the discussion round, covering “drugs in America,” Marsh shared a poignant personal story about her late mother’s battle with pancreatic cancer. For her talent presentation, she delivered a spoken-word piece centered on achieving a pilot’s license at the age of 16. When questioned about her goals as Miss America, Marsh emphasized her military background, portraying it as a symbol of her commitment to learning and leading “with passion.”
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Madison Marsh victory marks a significant milestone, breaking barriers and making history as the first active-duty Air Force officer to be crowned Miss America. She takes over the title from the 2023 Miss America, Grace Stanke of Wisconsin.
In a parallel event, the 2024 Miss America’s Teen pageant, held the previous night, crowned 16-year-old Hanley House of North Carolina. The pageant season continues to celebrate diversity, talent, and the remarkable achievements of young women across the United States.