Miss America says Air Force service is life-changing: 'It's all been just wonderful'

Joining the Air Force was a no-brainer for this beauty queen.

Madison Marsh, a second lieutenant in the Air Force, is the first active-duty Air Force officer to be crowned Miss America. The 22-year-old succeeds Wisconsin’s Grace Stanke, who was the 2023 Miss America.

"I wanted to be an astronaut for about eight years until a year or two ago," Marsh told Fox News Digital. "But then I discovered the Air Force Academy, and it immediately sparked my interest. Obviously, I don’t want to be an astronaut anymore."

AIR FORCE OFFICER MADISON MARSH WINS 2024 MISS AMERICA COMPETITION: 'YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING'

"When it comes to the Air Force, there’s the camaraderie, the family that is created out of joining the armed forces," she shared. "It’s phenomenal. It’s something that I didn’t realize I was yearning for. I now have people all across the nation that I could call and would have my back just because of being in the military."

"My path has changed significantly over the past several years – but it’s all been just wonderful," Marsh added.

Marsh, who was crowned as 2024 Miss America, is also a master’s student at the Harvard Kennedy School’s public policy program. She won the title of Miss Colorado last year.

Marsh said she’s hoping to inspire other women in the armed forces to fly sky-high.

"I love to think about all the women who have come before me," she said. "I’m not the first person in the military to do something like this. I think about all the first women to join the Air Force, to fly planes, to fly in combat, to go to the Air Force Academy, who’ve taken chances. Now, I’m lucky to be a very small part of this history, to show other young women that you really can do anything."

"Even if you don’t want to join the military, you can define those stereotypes, those boxes you put yourself in," Marsh said. "You can show the world what you’re passionate about and put everything else aside. There were times when the stereotype of a military woman who competes in pageants conflicted. Now, I’m able to break both of those stereotypes simultaneously. I hope to prove to all young women that you really can do whatever you want."

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There were 51 contestants who represented the U.S. and the District of Columbia, People magazine reported. According to the outlet, preliminary judges chose 10 contestants to enter the pageant, while the public voted for one, resulting in 11 semifinalists.

The Air Force took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to celebrate Marsh’s win.

"Congratulations to our very own #Airman, 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, aka Miss Colorado — who was just crowned @MissAmerica 2024!," they wrote. "Marsh is the first active duty servicemember to ever win the title. #AimHigh."

Marsh said the Air Force hasn’t stopped congratulating her.

"They’ve been so excited and supportive," she said. "One of my favorite parts of winning was having all of these military women reach out to me and say, ‘Now we feel more comfortable about displaying how you can be feminine and in uniform and still be taken seriously.’ That meant the world to me. It’s something that we might still struggle with today, but I’m really lucky we can now all be a part of it together and take down those stereotypes."

During the competition, the finalists had to speak about their goals as Miss America. Marsh opened up about her late mother, who died from pancreatic cancer in 2018 at age 41. She told Fox News Digital that meeting the many people who were by her mother’s side made her more proud than ever to be an American.

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"As a family, we had to watch her go through chemotherapy," she said. "But we also watched her meet all of these wonderful people – the doctors, the nurses – who did all they could to help elongate her life, so we could be with her a little longer. Representing the Americans who want to help our people is extremely important to me."

"I witnessed how pancreatic cancer can take your life, no matter how healthy you are, no matter how many amazing doctors you have in your corner," she said. "Something has to change. We are severely underfunding pancreatic cancer research. … We have one of the lowest survival rates and something more needs to be done. We need better legislation to raise money. We need better legislation to deliver these products to patients across the nation. It’s expensive to even get tested for pancreatic cancer. That’s another barrier patients have to deal with. … My mother’s cancer went from stage 1 to stage 4 within three weeks. We need to give our patients a fighting chance. And that’s what I’m going to fight for."

The Miss America semifinalists took part in four rounds of competitions, which included a fitness runway walk. Marsh noted that the Air Force gave her the confidence to take on that challenge.

"Things got tough for me at the Air Force Academy," Marsh said. "I was grieving the loss of my mom while also being in a very strict military environment. But I started finding my confidence at the gym and really pouring into my body. Being healthy is not just a look, it’s also a lifestyle. And I truly believe good health is what gave my mother a better fighting chance. I want to be here to play with my kids, see all these wonderful changes in the world and live a long life."

"I try to go to the gym about five days a week," she said. "I love lifting weights. That’s my favorite part, building muscle. … My mother was a big runner, so I’m trying to get into that to get my body moving. If I only have 20 minutes for a workout, I’ll just go for a run. I also love yoga. It’s my rest and rejuvenation day just to be at peace, not be on my phone, just focus on how my body feels at that very moment."

Marsh said that during her reign, she hopes to be an inspiration to women across the country.

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"For Miss America, I had my hair and makeup done, but that’s not the most important part of the pageant," she said. "Miss America is one of the largest providers of scholarships for women. I got over $70,000 in educational scholarships. That can be life-changing for so many women. … And to me, that’s the most beautiful part of the organization."

"It’s not all about beauty here," she continued. "The most important part is having a passion to serve, the passion to lead in your community or your profession, learning the ability to speak eloquently about the things you care about. This is what Miss America is all about. … And I’m ready for it."