Leona Marlin-Romeo was born on 3 July 1973 on Sint Maarten to Marius Romeo and Marilyn Thomas. As a child, Marlin-Romeo attended the Methodist Agogic Center (MAC) in Sint Maarten. She briefly attended St. Maarten Academy before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. She graduated from Adelphi University in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in French. She continued her education at the University of Amsterdam where she graduated with a master's degree in International Relations. In 2005, Marlin-Romeo returned to Sint Maarten, and began working as the Head of the Civil Registry Department.[7][8]
