Jarrod Cruz was born in Key West, FL and raised most of his young life in Fort Walton Beach, FL. When he graduated high school, he attended and graduated from the University of Tennessee and received his master's degree in Student Affairs and Higher Education. For 10 years, he worked in higher education at institutions located in Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York, and North Carolina. In 2010, Jarrod returned back home to Florida to finish his higher education career at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. In January 2015, Jarrod started working as Executive Director of a national non-profit organization and in 2017 received his Real Estate license to continue pursuing his hobby and interests.