☁️ Reach for the sky

When 22-year-old Madison Marsh won the Miss America contest last week, she became the first-ever active-duty Air Force officer to compete – let alone win the whole thing. 

Trading the helmet for a tiara: Madison graduated from the US Air Force Academy in June and was selected for training to become a military pilot.

• While at the military academy, she was drawn to pagaenting in hopes of meeting other women and having a chance to get involved with community service projects. 
• "As a freshman at the academy, you might have a hard time finding your identity in a very new and challenging environment," Marsh told the Air Force Institute of Technology. "My cousin had competed in pageants for a long time, and one of the big things about it that I love is the community service aspect and the focus on public speaking."

She was shocked when she was crowned Miss Colorado last year. And if that was shocking, it must have felt similar to touching a doorknob after rubbing fuzzy socks on the carpet for 10 minutes when she claimed the title of Miss America.

But winning isn't necessarily her focus. Madison hopes her atypical career choice will inspire other women and "tell the young girls that you don’t have to play a conventional role.”

• "When I put on my uniform, I serve and I represent our country," she told Harvard's student newspaper, The Crimson. "When I put on the crown and sash, I'm serving, representing my community."

On top of making lifelong friendships and honing her public speaking skills, Madison shared she loves pagaenting because of the charity work. 

• Madison's mom passed away from cancer in 2018. Following her passing, she helped set up a charitable foundation to fund research into pancreatic cancer and help care for patients. To date, more than a quarter-million dollars has been raised.

👀 Looking ahead... Madison will compete in the Miss Universe pageant later in the year.