After graduating from an inner-city high school in 2017, Thaniel spent six months working for the Orthodox Christian non-profit FOCUS Pittsburgh. He currently studies marketing and is a professional photographer. Outside of the office, Thaniel is a member of his OCF chapter and is also a subdeacon. Thaniel is a CrossRoad alum, amateur iconographer, and videographer for summer camps in Arizona and South Carolina. He attends Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Lancaster, Pa.