Michael was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He completed his undergraduate studies at Christopher Newport University where he served as the President of the Philosophy and Religious Studies Honor Societies and initiated several travel-based research projects (at Iona, Taize, Israel, and the Camino de Santiago), focusing on Christian pilgrimage and monasticism.

Immediately afterwards, he was awarded with a full scholarship through Boston College’s Lonergan Institute to complete the joint master’s program in philosophy and theology where he also worked as a teacher’s assistant for Dr. Jeffrey Bloechl’s Perspectives on Western Culture 1 course. Upon graduating, he spent a year teaching 11th literature grade at an international school in Seoul, South Korea and returned to begin the doctoral program in systematic theology. His research interests and expected dissertation topic focus on theological anthropology, Christology, and contemplative spirituality.