Miss Colorado makes history as first active service member to be crowned Miss America

On Sunday night, Colorado’s Madison Marsh was crowned Miss America 2024.

Marsh is a 22-year-old officer in the U.S. Air Force and the first active duty service member to ever win the title.

“I’m very excited to get to represent women who can break stereotypes,” Marsh said in an interview featured on the pageant’s Instagram page.

Fifty-one women competed in the Miss America pageant in Orlando, showing their skills in a fitness runway walk, a “hot topics” discussion, a talent show, and an evening gown presentation, per People magazine.

In addition to her military background, Marsh is the founder of the Whitney Marsh Foundation, which honors her mother who died of pancreatic cancer in 2018 and raises money for oncology research. She’s also a graduate intern at Harvard Medical School where she hopes to utilize artificial intelligence to detect pancreatic cancer.

Runners up, in order, were Ellie Breaux of Texas, Cudney Bridges of Indiana, Mallory Hudson of Kentucky, and Caroline Parente of Rhode Island.