The Miss America contest is the he most prestigious pageant event in the nation. It takes grit, determination, and beauty to win—and the woman who won this year has an amazing, patriotic story to tell.

One of the nation’s brightest and best in the military took on the Miss American challenge and now she’s flying high. The Arkansas native topped contestants representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia earlier this week.

The new Miss America set records for her pageantry success and isn’t planning on slowing down. Madison Marsh, 22, of Colorado, who is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, is gearing up to spread her wings, and her message, to the world.

From Blaze Media:
“When I put on my uniform, I serve and I represent our country,” said Marsh. “When I put on the crown and sash, I’m serving, representing my community.”

She believes her success in pageantry “really relates to the military a lot because you’re serving but in a different way.”

Marsh is the first active-duty service member to win. Her success brought quick congratulations by the USAF. They posted the hashtag, “AimHigh,” and touted her accomplishments while serving.

“Marsh is currently pursuing her master’s degree in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School through the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Civilian Institution Program, which falls under Air University,” the USAF stated.

Marsh credited training at the Air Force Academy, where she earned a degree in physics, as helping prepare her for even higher education. She is attending the Harvard Kennedy School on a Harry S. Truman Scholarship.

“I don’t think I ever would have gotten into Harvard if I wouldn’t have gone to the Air Force Academy,” Marsh told the Harvard Crimson. “I don’t think I ever would have become Miss Colorado without the Air Force Academy because they have trained me and honed in on my leadership.”

Marsh has been a high-level go-getter since she was a teenager. She earned her pilot’s license at the age of 16. The Air Force Academy previously shared photos of Marsh beside a glider plane with the caption, “From the flight line to the spotlight.”

She even started the Whitney Marsh Foundation after her mother succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2018. She has helped raise over $250,000 for cancer research. After her Miss America win, she posted online, “My momma — this one is all for you.”

Marsh has also been credited with serving as a graduate intern at Harvard Medical School, looking at ways of using artificial intelligence to detect pancreatic cancer, and as an intern at NASA, researching gamma-ray bursts.

Thanks to her Miss America crown, Marsh received a $60,000 scholarship award and an opportunity to travel the U.S. as the pageant’s ambassador.

Key Takeaways:

• S. Air Force officer won Miss America pageant with goals to “Aim High.”
• Madison Marsh is the first active-duty service member to win the crown.
• She earned her pilot’s license as a teenager and is studying at Harvard.

Source: Blaze Media