Basil John was born and raised in New Rochelle, NY. He attended Iona Preparatory School, where he participated in speech and debate competitions, which led to an interest in presenting in front of others. Basil's love for delivering stories took him to Stony Brook University's Journalism School in Long Island, where he received a degree in journalism with a concentration in public affairs and a minor in political science. During his time at Stony Brook, Basil learned the ins and outs of journalism and was presented with many opportunities. Most memorable was his time interning at CBS News in New York in its broadcast marketing department. Basil was also an Assistant Multimedia Editor for The Statesman, the campus paper of record, and was on the SB News show as a reporter, an anchor and a producer. Basil joined the WWAY News team as a reporter in February 2017. Even though Basil submerges himself in news and finding stories, he still finds time to cook dishes from around the world, take photos, play video games and watch anime.