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Dubai: 'Don't have to give up femininity to put on uniform', says Miss America and US Air Force pilot

At just 23 years old, Madison Marsh is travelling around the world to inspire women while advocating for military careers

Miss America 2024 and US Air Force pilot Madison Marsh is in the UAE on her mission to break stereotypes surrounding women, the military, and pageantry while encouraging females in the country to chase their aspirations.

The stereotype of “beauty with brains” has been both limiting and problematic for decades. However, Madison is a living example that intelligence and beauty can manifest in many forms and by combining them into a singular phrase, we overlook the diverse ways individuals express their value.

At just 23 years old, Madison is travelling around the world to inspire women while advocating for military careers. She is also pursuing her Master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University.

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Notably, she completed her first solo flight as a private pilot at the age of 16.

‘Giving back’

Speaking at the WE Empower Summit in Dubai on Thursday, Madison said, “At the Kennedy School the motto was always ask what you can do for others....and giving back. I really love the idea of this new digital age. There is so much power in social media just by being a role model for other young women because maybe someone doesn't have an immediate person in their household who can inspire them. But if you can be open on social media like I can now show young girls, that you don't have to give up your femininity to put on the uniform. You don't have to give it up to be Miss America, to be in the STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) field, to be in aviation, you name it…women can do anything and everything.”

She highlighted a critical piece of being an officer is being well-rounded.

“Education and life experiences certainly prepare you for a leadership role in the military. I think just going to school, interacting with people with different cultural backgrounds, and mass diversity from all across the country and the globe at Harvard, has now enabled me to take those experiences and apply them when I become a leader after this year is over,” said the American, who is from Arkansas.

Studying physics opened several doors

Madison also highlighted that studying physics had opened many doors for her. She believed that being involved in the STEM field, regardless of whether one pursued a career in it, served as a significant advantage.

“I think being in the STEM field, whether or not you choose a career in STEM is a ‘door opener’ because I learned from an early age to grind in school the difficulties of studying the hard science, the way that it applies to things outside of that field. Now, when I'm studying public policy at Harvard, I'm able to use all of those critical thinking skills and problem-solving. Now, I get to apply that (Physics) in policy in the medical field. So it's really nice to see that overlap between the two.”

Pancreatic cancer awareness

Madison, who received more than Dh257,110 ($70,000) in tuition scholarships from her state and Miss America competitions, is committed to raising awareness for “Pancreatic Cancer” after losing her mother to the disease when she was just 17.

Through her community service initiative, she aims to increase awareness of pancreatic cancer and promote research efforts.

“My mum passed away from pancreatic cancer when she was 41 years old. This happened about six years ago. She didn't have any of the warnings. It was quite a shock to her family. She was the pinnacle of what one would consider health. Afterwards, we started the Whitney Marsh Foundation in her honour, and we raised funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer patients all across America,” she added.

Considering the interception of medical research and the STEM field nowadays, Madison highlighted that during her senior year of college, she had the opportunity to focus on artificial intelligence and its connection to pancreatic cancer research.

“That's one of the ways that we're intersecting both of those fields because early detection is a very critical part of survival for new cancer patients. I am not going to go to medical school. However, I do love the patient advocacy aspect that was significantly lacking when my mum had to battle pancreatic cancer. I want to work in a way to ensure that we are enabling policies, research, and federal dollars so that people can survive,” added Madison.

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