MISS AMERICA
Who is Miss America 2024? Who won the beauty pageant?
Madison Marsh, who won Miss Colorado last year, made history when she took the crown in this weekend’s Miss America beauty pageant in Orlando.
She did it! Arkansas native Madison Marsh became the first active-duty officer in the United States Air Force to compete for the Miss America crown...and then went on to win! Incredible scenes.
Marsh, 22, booked her ticket to Miss America when she won the Miss Colorado contest in May 2023. This then gave her the chance to go up against 50 other state beauty pageant winners at Sunday’s national contest in Florida, where they gracefully ‘battled’ it out to succeed 2023 victor Grace Stanke, representing Wisconsin. Ellie Breaux of Texas came in as first-runner-up, followed by Cydney Bridges of Indiana, Mallory Hudson of Kentucky and Caroline Parente of Rhode Island.
Who is Madison Marsh, Miss America 2024?
A graduate of the USAF Academy with a degree in physics, Marsh is a second lieutenant in the air-service branch of the US military, according to her biography on the official Miss Colorado website. She is now studying for a master’s in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, having also been a graduate intern at Havard Medical School, where she worked on the use of artificial intelligence to detect pancreatic cancer.
Marsh, whose mother died of pancreatic cancer in 2018, additionally serves as president and founder of the Whitney Marsh Foundation, which raises money for research into the treatment and early detection of the illness.
“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,” Marsh told an interview with SWNS.
“Issues like economic environments and other social pressures that might be inhibiting our ability to implement cancer policies that can affect all Americans.”
Miss America 2024: what elements were included?
The Miss America 2024 beauty pageant took place at the Walt Disney Theater at Dr Phillips Center for Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida. As well as sections such as public-speaking and best-in-evening-gown contests, Miss America 2024 included a fitness segment, as part of recent format changes.
“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,” Marsh told SWNS ahead of the event.