Martin was raised in Pleasanton , California , where she attended Amador Valley High School , graduating in 2002 . After high school , Martin began painting and photography ; some of her works were exhibited around California . She became interested in journalism when her old high school boyfriend enlisted in the military after the September 11 attacks in 2001 . " I did n't want him going to war , let alone fighting in one ... I began to critically ask ' What is really going on ? By the time she was a sophomore at San Diego State University , she began to question what she called the " selling " of the Iraq War by the media . She received an undergraduate degree in political science and minored in Spanish
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Abby Martin