Derick Lee is originally from Jacksonville, Florida, but currently resides in North Carolina. Upon finishing his social work degree at Christopher Newport University (CNU), he taught eighth grade English in Edgecombe County. In the years following, he worked in higher education, both as a program coordinator at CNU and later as a residence life area coordinator at North Carolina Wesleyan University. In his free time, Derick enjoys traveling, consisting of visiting various coffee shops and poetry open mics.