John Givot grew up in Sisters, Oregon. He attended Colorado College and graduated with a degree in physics in 2001. Since then he has worked a variety of jobs including fighting wildland fires, building composite gliders, and commercial photography. He has also spent time traveling in Central and South America, Europe, and Africa.

John came back to school to pursue a degree in journalism, where he is currently studying with a magazine focus. He is working towards a career where he can both write and photograph. During the last year, he worked at Tri-County News as a reporter and photographer and for the Oregon Daily Emerald as a photographer. Over the summer, he will be working at an internship at the News-Review in Roseburg, Oregon.