Joseph was raised in the east suburbs of Cleveland, OH, and attended Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA, where he graduated with honors, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Economics. While at Saint Vincent, he was a member of the cross country and track teams and was active in campus ministry. He was also a member of the George Washington Fellowship, was awarded a certificate of Benedictine Leadership Studies, and was an intern for U.S. Congressman Guy Reschenthaler.