Madison Marsh stands out as a unique Miss America, distinguished not only by her beauty but also by her role as a 22-year-old second lieutenant in the Air Force. Securing the iconic pageant title on January 14, she achieved the groundbreaking feat of being the first active-duty service member to wear the coveted crown.
Hailing from Colorado, Marsh brings serious credentials to her Miss America role. A recent graduate with a degree in physics from the United States Air Force Academy, she currently serves as a pilot with the rank of second lieutenant.
Reflecting on her pageant victory, Marsh describes it as an “out of body experience” and sees herself as part of a lineage of women shattering barriers. Despite her achievements, she remains dedicated to her education, pursuing a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Marsh is actively involved in philanthropy, raising funds for pancreatic cancer research. In memory of her mother, who succumbed to the disease when Madison was 17, she established the Whitney Marsh Foundation. Her mother’s influence remains a guiding light in her life.
Looking ahead, Marsh aspires to transform her foundation into a formidable force in the fight against pancreatic cancer. She hopes that her role as Miss America will provide a platform to further advance this crucial cause.
“I would love to dive deep into my non-profit, the Whitney Marsh Foundation, and making it one of those large cancer non-profits that you hear about, like Susan G. Komen or a PanCAN (the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network), and diving into that to make national policy that meets the needs of all pancreatic cancer patients because, like I said, it’s severely underfunded,” she said.
“Not a lot of people know about it. It’s difficult to detect, treat and cure. All the things. And I want to be helping patients at the forefront.”
