ORLANDO: In a historic moment, 22-year-old Madison Marsh, a second lieutenant in the US Air Force and a master’s student at the Harvard Kennedy School’s public policy program, clinched the 2024 Miss America title on Sunday night in Orlando, Florida.
Representing Colorado, Marsh is the first active-duty Air Force officer to be awarded the national title, marking a significant milestone in the pageant’s history.
Ellie Breaux of Texas secured the first-runner-up position in the competition, which featured 51 contestants representing all 50 US states and the District of Columbia. The pageant, held over three nights of preliminary competitions, saw the field narrowed down to 11 semi-finalists, with Marsh ultimately emerging as the winner.
Mis America Competition
The competition included various rounds such as a fitness showcase, a “hot topics” discussion round, a talent performance, and an evening gown presentation. Marsh impressed the judges with her spoken-word piece on receiving a pilot’s license at the age of 16. In the discussion round, she shared a poignant personal story about her late mother’s battle with pancreatic cancer in response to the topic of “drugs in America.”
As the newly crowned Miss America, Marsh highlighted her military credentials in expressing her commitment to learning and leading “with passion” during the additional question about her goals for the title. She succeeds Grace Stanke of Wisconsin, the 2023 Miss America.
The 2024 Miss America’s Teen pageant, held the night before, crowned 16-year-old Hanley House of North Carolina.
