Madison Marsh, a US Air Force fighter pilot, training to be a Top Gun, has been crowned Miss America. She was crowned Miss America 2024 at a glitzy ceremony in Florida on Sunday night. Marsh, 22, who comes from Fort Smith, Arkansas, had earlier been crowned Miss Colorado before competing in the finals for the top award.
Ellie Breaux from Texas finished in second place at the event held on Sunday night at the Walt Disney Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, Florida. Marsh and Breaux claimed the final two positions after a series of rounds featuring contestants from all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.
Top Gun Wins Top Crown
Marsh is the first active duty officer from any military branch to represent the Miss America organization at the national level. In the event Marsh is unable to fulfill a full year's service, the runner-up, Miss Texas Ellie Breaux, would be called to step in the role.
Arkansas State Representative Steve Womack quickly extended congratulations to the newly crowned Miss America.
"CONGRATULATIONS to Fort Smith's Madison Marsh who was just crowned Miss America 2024!!! I've had the pleasure of seeing Madison grow up over the years, and I couldn't be more proud of her on this unbelievable accomplishment! Her remarkable strength and story will be an inspiration for young women all across America!"
Marsh got her pilot's license at the age of 17. She is now a U.S. Air Force 2nd lieutenant with a coveted spot for fighter pilot training. In May 2023, she was crowned Miss Colorado, just before she graduated from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and was commissioned as an Air Force Officer.
While at the USAFA, the Arkansas native decided to venture into pageant competitions as an extracurricular activity.
While at the USAFA, the Arkansas native chose to participate in pageant competitions as an extracurricular activity.
Marsh is passionate about participating in pageants, because of the importance of the "community service aspects" and the emphasis on public speaking. She also commends the evolution of the pageant system, particularly in its approach to women's fitness.
Passion and Profession
Marsh's journey to competing on the Miss America stage took a winding route. Her initial focus was on obtaining a pilot's license, a goal she had set years before considering pageant participation.
"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."
With a childhood spent attending space camps and enjoying flying lessons, Marsh pursued her dreams by joining the Air Force Academy in El Paso County, Colorado.
Marsh embarked on her pageant journey while attending the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). Reflecting on this experience, she remarked, "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, she won the Miss Colorado crown.
Marsh said, "It was very surreal. I believe I'm the first active-duty officer from any branch to represent at the national level of the Miss America organization."
In a modern-day parallel to the "Top Gun" narrative, Marsh has her own version of Goose – her mustachioed boyfriend, who remarkably resembles Maverick's wingman from the iconic 1986 film.
Despite the various opportunities available to her as a beauty queen and fighter pilot, Marsh envisions her path leading toward cancer research. This choice is deeply influenced by the personal loss of her mother to pancreatic cancer, serving as a powerful inspiration for her future career direction.
"Toward 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 said.
"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 ... Issues like economic environments and other social pressures that might be inhibiting our ability to implement cancer policies that can affect all Americans."
