Air Force Academy graduate and Miss Colorado Madison Marsh won Miss America Sunday night, making her the first active-duty Air Force officer to hold the title.

Marsh said in a previous interview with The Gazette that while some might see a conflict between military service and pageantry, the values of education, leadership and service are clear in both.

“I think for a lot of little young girls, maybe the way that pageantry is portrayed in the media, they wouldn’t expect someone also puts on the uniform at the same time,” she said.

For Marsh, military service came first. Then during her first year at the academy she started looking for something that she could do outside of the intense school environment. She landed on pageants because it would provide experience in public speaking and interviewing, and exposure for her recently founded nonprofit. She started The Whitney Marsh Foundation shortly after her mom died of pancreatic cancer to help find a cure to the disease that is nearly always deadly.

On her Miss Colorado Instagram account Marsh posted how she shared her mom’s story and worked to break down stereotypes through the global exposure the pageant offered.

“I feel so honored to have had the opportunity to walk on this stage,” she wrote in the post.

The Superintendent of the Air Force Academy, Lt. Gen. Richard Clark congratulated Marsh on Instagram saying “Way to go Madison!” and noting that his wife, daughter and father attended the ceremony to cheer on the 2nd lieutenant.

During the contest, she was among 11 semifinalists who went on to four final rounds of the competition, including a runway walk in rhinestone-embellished athleisure, a discussion round, a talent performance and an evening gown presentation, according to a news story by CNN.

In the talent portion, she gave a speech on getting her pilot’s license at 16.

Marsh is also a black belt in taekwondo, a national Rhodes finalist, a national Truman scholar and has interned at NASA, according to the Miss Colorado website.

She is currently studying public policy at Harvard University.

It’s the first time in 51 years a Colorado contestant was named Miss America. The state’s previous three winners include Sharon Ritchie (1955), Marilyn Van Derbur (1957) and Rebecca King (1973).

As winner of the Miss America pageant, Marsh will take on a year-long role as an ambassador for the organization.

“The role of our brand ambassadors is an exciting, fun, challenging year of service that requires energy, positivity, professionalism and courtesy,” Miss America said on its website. “Each uses her term to inspire, promote, engage and represent woman in her demographic across America and their respective ambitions, goals, dreams and visions of their respective futures.”

The Denver Gazette’s Dan Boniface contributed to this report.