 He graduated from Appleton East High School, then the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2000.Hyden began his career with "The Post-Crescent" in 1993; then 15 years old, he contributed to a weekly section for teenagers (his first submission, hand-written, was a review of the 1993 album "Zooropa" by U2).He continued working for the paper as an intern while in college, and then joined the staff as a full-time reporter when he graduated in 2000.