Marley grew up in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Passionate about service, she attended the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) to obtain her BSc in Environmental Engineering. While at USMA, Marley conducted an internship in the Pentagon with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and the Environment, where she assisted in the formulation of Army Climate Policy. She also served as a Regimental Executive Officer, responsible for ensuring the successful completion of regimental initiatives while overseeing a regiment of 1000 cadets.

After graduating from USMA, Marley commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. She attended Sapper Leader Course, a demanding 28-day leadership development course for combat engineers. Shortly after, she began her graduate studies in the UK as a Marshall Scholar by first studying climate policy at King’s College London before coming to Oxford for the MPP. She is interested in climate, defense, and security policy.

Marley is a Marshall scholar.