Born in Sonora, California in 1980, Erik Oeverndiek began studying photography in high school and Columbia Junior College where he learned the art of photo development. In addition he worked as an assistant to the photo departments at his former high school and college.

After Columbia, Oeverndiek transferred to Notre Dame de Namur to complete his undergraduate degree in English, with a minor in Communications, before he received a MAE in News Writing at the same institution. From his first day at NDNU, Oeverndiek grew accustom to spending long hours at the student publication, The Argonauts, office. While there he became Editor-in-Chief of the publication which took third place in the ACP and he also won numerous photography and best overall awards from the CCMA.

Oeverndiek currently teaches NDNU's art and literature publication, The Bohemian, that also took first place at the CCMA, and has worked as a photojournalist for the San Mateo Daily
Journal for the last year and a half.