Oxford Encounters: "Avery Warsing – The Girl From NYC Who Made The Ole Miss Adjustment"

After growing up in Manhattan, Avery Warsing was only 17 when she arrived in Oxford four years ago. Before stepping onto the Ole Miss campus, the young lady had never been to the south. She has now completed her undergraduate career at Ole Miss, but her story is far from over. 
HottyToddy.com: Avery, thanks for meeting with us on a Saturday. I always enjoy meeting other Yankee fans (LOL). (The same day we met, the Yankees defeated the Red Sox 4-1 in 16 innings at Fenway,)
Avery Warsing: Thanks for inviting me for this interview. I hate to disappoint though, but I’m actually a Red Sox fan! (Boooo Yankees!)
HottyToddy.com: How does a girl who grew up in Manhattan find and then select Ole Miss?
Avery Warsing: Well, my high school was very small and liberal arts focused, and I did not excel in that environment, so I started my college search by looking for bigger schools. I also looked farther from home because I wanted a place to start new and forge my own path. Add my potential interest in Greek life and all the pieces added up to Ole Miss.
HottyToddy.com: Describe life as a juvenile/teenager growing up in NYC.
Avery Warsing: Growing up in a city gave me a lot more freedom at a younger age than I think most kids experience. I could walk or take the subway to anything I wanted to see or do. The city is also a very diverse environment, in terms of ethnicity, culture, and opinions, and I loved being exposed to so many different things.
HottyToddy.com: Returning to the Sox, as much as I dislike to, who was your favorite player in Beantown and why?
Avery Warsing: I think my favorite has to be Big Papi, David Ortiz. He’s just such an absolute legend and the Sox were lucky to have him.
HottyToddy.com: Apparently the “Broadway Bug” bit you at an early age. Tell us about some of your favorite plays.
Avery Warsing: I think my favorite Broadway musical has to be The Lion King. Everything about it is spectacular from start to finish; the music, the set, the artistry of it all, it’s quite breathtaking. My other favorites are Wicked and Dirty Dancing, which I actually saw in London in the West End before it came to the US.
HottyToddy.com: When you and your dad arrived here for the very first time (orientation), what was it like?
Avery Warsing: Hot!! And crazy humid, I was not prepared! But the campus was obviously super beautiful and the people were so nice that I loved it here immediately. It’s a nice town and a good community and it shows.
HottyToddy.com: We understand you had a mutual love affair with your sorority. Living in the house apparently agreed with you.
Avery Warsing: Yes! I lived in the house my sophomore year and I wish I could have lived there longer! It was so much fun being surrounded by sisters all the time; there was always someone to help with Organic Chem homework or talk about a rough day with or eat snacks and watch movies with. And the food was amazing!

HottyToddy.com: I cannot imagine someone spending four years here without a car, however, you showed the University that it can be done.
Avery Warsing:  Yeah, it’s not the easiest thing living here without a car but it definitely can be done. Being from the city I had no use for a car or drivers license, so I didn’t get one before I moved here. I have a learner’s permit now though, so I’m making some progress, haha!
HottyToddy.com: Tell our readers what you like most about the school.
Avery Warsing: That’s a hard question because there are so many things I love about Ole Miss! Football season and tailgating in the Grove is an experience unlike any other so that might be my favorite thing. That being said, I also love the campus, the people, and the traditions that make Ole Miss so special.
HottyToddy.com: Were there any negatives?
Avery Warsing: There aren’t many I can think of. Going through sorority recruitment was one experience that had many positives and negatives. Overall it was a hard week for many of us to deal with. The environment grows competitive and toxic when there’s no reason for it too, the women searching for homes are all beautiful and bright and we shouldn’t have to tear them down during the process.

HottyToddy.com: Politically speaking, how did you find the leaning of your classmates as your senior year coincided with the presidential election. 
Avery Warsing: I think this election year was destined to be crazy no matter where you lived or what your political opinions were. But I was surprised to find so many people my age were conservative. In New York, the only conservative people were older people. But that’s one of the reasons I chose to move away from home for college, to experience different viewpoints and understand other people.
HottyToddy.com:  You are now headed to DC to advance your education in Speech Therapy. What does the future hold?
Avery Warsing: Right now I’m about to start my Master’s program in Speech Pathology in Washington, DC, which I’m really excited about! I hope to do well and become a certified SLP in a few years. After that? Definitely visits back to Oxford to cheer on my Rebs!
HottyToddy.com: We almost forgot to ask you about the one semester you spent in Spain.
Avery Warsing: Yes, I studied abroad in Alicante, Spain for part of my junior year. I went there speaking no Spanish and I think my program director thought I was a little crazy for doing that. Luckily my host mom spoke some English and I was able to learn the language, the culture, and travel around Europe in my free time. 10/10, would absolutely recommend studying abroad!!
HottyToddy.com: Let’s do a lightning round:
“South”……Avery….”Warm”
“Travel”….. “…..”Plane”
“Food”……..”……”Biscuits”
“Animals”…..”……”Dog”
“Movies”…….”…….”Wonder Woman”
“History”……”…….”Important”
“Math”……..”…….”Hard”
HottyToddy.com: Avery, in wrapping up, if you had to do it all over again, would you return to the Magnolia State?
Avery Warsing: Without a doubt, yes. Living here has shaped me in ways I never expected and I’m going to miss it terribly when I move to DC. I’ll be back to visit as often as I can though; where else is a girl supposed to get her chicken on a stick??
I would love to be this “Wonder Woman’s” agent as this young lady is headed for stardom. Even if she didn’t obtain a drivers license while at Ole Miss, she proved you really don’t need one. It would be fascinating to fast forward 15 years to see what she is doing. 2016 might not have been the year for the First Lady POTUS, but watch out for Avery. I wouldn’t bet against her!

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Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.