Born and raised in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Tyler Ciokiewicz attended Winona State University in Minnesota, where he earned a bachelor of science in business administration. Since then, he's moved to Portland, Oregon, and then to Bellingham, Washington, for his master's degree in education. Ciokiewicz has worked in higher education since 2015, having worked in various student affairs roles at different institutions and at both the community college and university levels. He's lived in the Pacific Northwest since 2013 and loves it too much to leave now. Ciokiewicz is an avid lover of coffee, cats, and books, and spends most of his free time with a combination of the three. He's also a born and raised Green Bay Packers fan.