I was born in Fairfax, VA, where I lived for 18 years. I attended elementary and middle school at St. Leo the Great in Fairfax, then went to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA. At Jefferson, I was mainly interested in psychology and English and participated in the marching band and other clubs. In 2005, I matriculated into the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA, where I majored in psychology and minored in computer science. At W&M, I was the president of the William & Mary Wind Symphony and started the first podcast on campus, the William & Mary Powwow.

After graduation, I moved to St. Louis, MO, where I am currently a Ph.D. student in psychology at Washington University working under Dr. Roddy Roediger. The majority of my research focuses on the relationship between memory confidence and memory accuracy. When I am not conducting research, I am involved in the Compton Heights Concert Band, attend many St. Louis Cardinals baseball games, and am deeply interested in local business and government. I'm also training to run a marathon.

My parents are Washington, DC area natives, my sister is a master's student at George Mason University's art program, and my girlfriend, Becky, is the managing editor at Town & Style magazine here in St. Louis.