‘The Sky is Not the Limit’: Air Force-Bound Harvard Student Competes for Miss America Crown

When Madison I.R. Marsh graduated from the Air Force Academy, she had already accrued a long list of accolades.

In her four years at the Academy, Marsh rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant, was selected as an air force pilot, earned a degree in physics with a focus on astronomy, gained admission to the Harvard Kennedy School — and became a pageant queen.

Marsh was crowned Miss Colorado in May 2023, earning her a spot in the national Miss America pageant. Fifty other contestants — hailing from each U.S. state and Washington, D.C. — will join her to compete for the Miss America crown on Sunday.

The pool of contestants will be steadily narrowed through a variety of competitions, including a talent portion and an on-stage question before a winner is crowned.

For Marsh, pageantry “really relates to the military a lot because you’re serving but in a different way.”

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

For the talent round, Marsh plans to tell the story of her first solo flight at 16, recounting the mishaps that eventually led to her leadership within the military.

Despite the sacrifices that come with serving, Marsh said, she has found “an equal amount of opportunities.”

“I don’t think I ever would have gotten into Harvard if I wouldn’t have gone to the Air Force Academy,” Marsh said. “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 began competing in pageants during her first year at the Academy. She initially viewed it as a “fun pageant thing where you get to dress up,” but soon recognized its emphasis on community service and leadership.

Marsh’s nonprofit, the Whitney Marsh Foundation — named in honor of her late mother who died from pancreatic cancer — fundraises for pancreatic cancer patient care, advocacy, and research.

Through her academic and nonprofit work, Marsh developed a passion for cancer research and policy reform that she plans to pursue at HKS.

“I’m trying to take that background of my cancer research and applying that to the policy degree — trying to translate it to make sure that we’re enacting policy that’s equitable for all patients,” Marsh said.

Marsh said she hopes her journey “can tell the young girls that you don’t have to play a conventional role.”

“The sky is not the limit,” Marsh said. “It’s not the limit for me, because I fly planes up there, people go to space up there, women go up there, and so women can do it all.”

​​—Staff writer Natalie K Bandura can be reached at natalie.bandura@thecrimson.com.