Born in southern California, Martha earned exemplary grades while at West Point, staying within the top 5 %. After graduating she went to the University of North Carolina to complete her Master's degree in political science.
她出生於南加州，在西點軍校時成績優異，保持在前 5 % 之內，畢業後又取得北卡羅萊納大學政治學碩士。