Derek grew up near Morganton, North Carolina. Some of his relatives continue to live in that area today. Derek graduated with distinction from both the Charlotte School of Law (2013) and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2010 - Finance and Marketing). Derek played two years of junior college basketball (2005-2007) as a starting shooting guard at Catawba Valley Community College for the back-to-back conference champions in Hickory, North Carolina. Derek was a distinguished academic All-American in the sport of basketball in the NJCAA.
