Derick was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History and in Political Science in 2005 from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. While at Furman, Derick spent a term in Washington, D.C., interning for the Consumer Trade and Protection division of the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. After graduating college, he was selected as one of eleven honorary fellows to participate in a nine-month program for emerging leaders where he studied the intersection of faith, service, community, and law. Derick went on to earn his Juris Doctor in 2009 from Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia, finishing among the top 10 in his class. Regent enabled Derick to gain valuable experience in the fields of economic development and human rights. While interning for the Center for Global Strategies, Derick helped build the bridge between Western businessman and developing economies by negotiating manufacturing contracts in Vietnam. Furthermore, Regent's partnership with the European Center for Law and Justice presented Derick with the opportunity to study International Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. Finally, Derick had the distinct honors of serving on the Moot Court Board and interning for the Honorable Robert J. Humphreys of the Virginia Court of Appeals as well as for the former Capital Defender of Virginia, Judge Joseph Migliozzi.