Michael was born in Upstate New York and moved to Winston-Salem, NC in 2004 where he grew up. He then attended and graduated from Appalachian State University in 2016 with a B.S. in Appropriate Technology. While attending Appalachian, Michael was a member of the cross country and track and field team where he competed in distance events ranging from the mile up to the 10k. Michael enjoys being outdoors and active, whether it be running in the mornings or going up to the mountains for a hike.