Joseph Pierre grew up in Saratoga County in upstate New York. He graduated in 2022 from the State University of New York at Fredonia, where he majored in media management with a minor in English. Prior to his employment at The Fayetteville Observer in June, he worked as a press coordinator at the New York State Assembly. In his spare time, he trains in amateur boxing and one day hopes to travel the world and learn about new cultures. Until then, he's exploring his new home in North Carolina. You can reach him at jpierre@gannett.com.