Jennifer McDaniel Martin is a children's book author, EdD student, federal HR specialist, former K-12 educator, and military family advocate. Her debut book and doctoral research both ask the same question: what does it mean to belong when home is more than one place?
Jennifer spent 15 years teaching across elementary schools, ESL classrooms, community colleges, and virtual programs spanning the United States, Abu Dhabi, and DoDEA schools stateside. That career gave her a front-row view of what children carry with them when they move.
As a military spouse and parent of two military-connected children, she knows firsthand that frequent moves are not just a logistics challenge. They are an educational one. Her doctoral research at Merrimack College asks what schools can do structurally to be ready when these students walk through the door.
Garden of Me grew from the same place: a belief that kids navigating military life deserve to see their stories reflected back at them.
At the center of this story is a tree in grandma's front yard. A tree that has stood through changing seasons and watched family memories grow across generations. But what about a child who has moved many times? Her roots do not run deep in one single place.
Instead, her garden is a tapestry. A rose bush blooming with love and remembrance. A fiery maple rooted in comfort and family. A banana tree reaching toward new life and adventure. Each plant a living piece of who she is and where she has been.
Garden of Me encourages children to embrace their own unique stories, bloom where they are planted, and find strength in the diverse roots that shape them. A vibrant, resilient identity does not require one place. It just requires knowing your own garden.
Military-connected students move frequently, often mid-year, and civilian public schools are not always equipped to receive them well. The gap is structural. This research asks what schools and districts can do to be better prepared when these students walk through the door.
As an EdD student at Merrimack College, Jennifer's research will examine how schools and districts can be best prepared to support incoming military students. The goal is to center the voices of families and educators to identify what actually works.
This work connects to Purple Star School designation efforts, transition support frameworks, and the wider conversation about equity for students whose education is shaped by service. Circumstances that are not their choosing.
"Military-connected students deserve schools that are ready for them. That is the question driving this research."
Whether you are a parent, educator, school administrator, researcher, or someone who wants to talk about military-connected students, Jennifer would love to hear from you.