Brendon was born and raised in Southern California, where he received his BS in Environmental Science at Biola University, in Los Angeles. He then received his MS in Horticulture at Washington State University, researching optimal management strategies for a new apple variety ‘Cosmic Crisp.’ Post-graduation, Brendon returned to Biola as an Instructor and taught there for two years. Brendon also founded and runs a non-profit that does agricultural development, research, and training in Haiti for local farmers. He graduated with a PhD in Horticulture, in Dr. Minas’ CSU_Pomology lab, where he is currently appointed as a Postdoctoral Fellow conducting research on how pre-harvest factors influence peach fruit quality and metabolism.