Miss America 2024 makes pitstop at Hinson Middle School on her way to Daytona 500

Marsh, a second lieutenant in the Air Force, visited Hinson on Friday, Feb. 16, to talk and inspire students in the school's Advancement Via Individual Determination program about their futures.

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Miss America 2024 Madison Marsh, clad in her U.S. Air Force uniform, spoke to students at Hinson Midde School about dreams.

About how it's OK if dreams and career paths change. They did for her.

"For a long time, I'd wanted to be an astronaut, and now I'm changing paths because my passions have changed," Marsh said. "And it was really difficult being a college student, letting go of dreams I'd had for nine years, and it took a while and a little bit of soul searching to realize it's OK for things to change, for your plans to change, for your life to change, because you should never be wasting ay of the precious moments that you have on things that you don't love."

Marsh, a second lieutenant in the Air Force, visited Hinson on Friday, Feb. 16, to talk and inspire students in the school's Advancement Via Individual Determination program about their futures. The AVID program aims to support students in advanced academics and college readiness, according to Volusia County Schools. 

Marsh was in town as she will act as the honorary pace car driver ahead of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18. Marsh, who was Miss Colorado 2023, was crowned Miss America in January.

VCS Deputy Superintendent Rachel Hazel said to the students that Marsh represents "everything that we as educators want to give to our children."

"We in education want nothing more than for them to be the best that they can be, and thank you for paving that way and showing them everything that you are," Hazel said.

For 22-year-old Marsh, her mother is a big part of her journey. 

When she was 17, her mother died from pancreatic cancer, leading Marsh to create the Whitney Marsh Foundation in her memory. As her desire to learn more about pancreatic cancer research grew, she decided to pursue a public policy degree instead of her initial path of physics. Marsh is currently a student at Harvard.

"That's something that the loss of my mom taught me," she said. "That every moment that you get needs to be cherished and put towards things that you love, and with that you can never fail."

There's a lot of stereotypes about women in pageants, Marsh said. There are also a lot of stereotypes about women in the military.

They never mattered to her, she said.

"Being able to break down these conflicting stereotypes is an important representation, whether or not you want the same career that I have — that doesn't matter," Marsh said. "But the fact that I hope everyone can feel comfortable stepping into their role, whatever they're passionate about, and being able to break whatever conflicting stereotypes might exist in your career."

Marsh said she's excited to talk to students as Miss America 2024 as students are "the future of America."

"If I can speak to them a little bit about success in their life and being able to impart that on them, then it just makes me so happy because they're all destined to do great things, and I truly believe that with every student I've got to meet this year," Marsh said.

 

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