Endorsed by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Representative Ives graduated in the West Point Class of 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. She went on to serve in the US Army. Her assignments included platoon leader and headquarters detachment commander for transportation units in Germany and ROTC instructor at Wheaton College. She resigned from the Army in 1993 to raise her children. At the same time, she worked as a tax advisor and bookkeeper for small businesses and individuals.