OAN's Brooke Mallory and Elizabeth Bolberding
6:27pm – Monday, January 15, 2024
U.S. Air Force officer and astrophysicist Madison Marsh is Miss America 2024.
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Marsh, 22, is a master's candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Public Policy. She was crowned 2024 “Miss America” on Sunday in Orlando, Florida. However, other sources claim that she is 23 years old.
“You can accomplish anything. The sky is not the limit, the only thing stopping you is you,” Marsh said in an interview shared on Instagram.
She went on to say that if she, who grew up in a “small town that didn't participate in the pageant world,” can do it, anyone can get into the pageant world.
Marsh, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, replaces last year's winner Grace Stanke of Wisconsin. She is the first active duty Air Force officer to hold this title. Mr. Stanke attended Mr. Marsh's coronation on Sunday.
The U.S. Air Force celebrated the victory in a message on Twitter, calling Marsh “ours.”
A total of 51 competitors participated, representing the District of Columbia and the United States. From these, 10 people were chosen to participate in the contest by preliminary judges, and one person was selected through public recruitment, resulting in 11 people advancing to the semi-finals.
The semi-finalists competed in four rounds of events, including an evening dress presentation, talent show, “hot topic” discussion and fitness runway walk, before the finalists were reduced to five.
The finalists then had to give a speech about their aspirations to become Miss America.
While speaking about the topic of drugs in America, Marsh revealed personal details about his mother's experience with pancreatic cancer. In her talent show round, she decided to talk about getting her pilot's license when she was 16 years old.
Additionally, ahead of the pageant, Marsh revealed what inspired her to participate.
“It's been a great experience to bring together both aspects of my favorite parts of life and hopefully make a difference so others can see that they don't have to limit themselves. ” Marsh said.
“In the military, it's an open space where you can really show leadership in any 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 be themselves.” “We felt this was a way to set the tone for people to feel more comfortable finding what is most meaningful to them,” she added.
Marsh also used her position as Miss America to talk to girls about serving in the military and highlight her mission to challenge stereotypes about women in the military.
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