Wade is a first-year graduate student researching 19th century firearms history under the advisement of Dr. Robert Gudmestad. His current research is focused on repeating firearms in the Civil War, such as the Henry and Spencer rifles. He is also interested in how people perceived the Second Amendment over time as firearms technology improved.

In 2026, he earned his B.A. in History from Penn State Behrend in Erie, PA, graduating with cum laude honors. As an undergraduate, he worked as a teaching assistant during his senior year, as a writing tutor for two years, and in the archives of the Hagen History Center. He won the Best Contributing History Major & Outstanding Humanities Tutor awards in 2026.

Originally from Flower Mound, Texas, he has many passions outside of history, including travel, video games, and music. He is a Barbershop Harmony Society district champion, winning a gold medal with his quartet in 2024, singing bass. He has also played piano for 17 years, and he enjoys music theory, composition, and listening to and singing barbershop music.