The Vassallo Interviews — Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor who interviews Oxford’s and our region’s leading personalities.
Steve said,
“Grace Glanton, for all practical purposes, should have ended up at Auburn as her entire family did. But this young lady wanted to dance to a different drummer and how has she ever! The recent President of Kappa Delta Sorority exemplifies today’s professional female leading by example. Here’s her story:
HottyToddy.com Tell us a little about your background.
Grace Glanton — “I’m from Carrollton, Ga., and a product of the public schools there, of which I am very proud. Ole Miss was not on my radar as I had been accepted to several schools closer to home. My entire family graduated from Auburn and there is a building on campus named in honor of my great grandfather, so I always thought I would go there.”
HottyToddy.com — .Your academic background has been nothing less than sensational.
Grace Glanton — “I have never made a B. I recently graduated from Ole Miss with a 4.0.”
HotyToddy.com — Why would a Georgia student select Ole Miss over your in-state university?
Grace Glanton — “I came here with a friend in 2009 and never looked back. I fell in love with the campus, the Square and especially the Grove. I enjoyed shopping on the Square and liked immensely the compactness of Ole Miss. I had not been to Oxford previously.”
HottyToddy.com — What was your major here at Ole Miss?
Grace Glanton — “Elementary Education. I will be starting graduate school this fall and then pursuing a Ph.D, hopefully in the future.”
HottyToddy.com — What was sorority life like for you?
Grace Glanton — “I went through rush in the fall of 2010. The experience was a great deal of fun for me as I’m a ‘social being’ and meeting hundreds of girls was tremendous. I enjoyed the skits and seeing all the houses. I felt at home with the KD’s. The conversations we had made me feel comfortable. The actives I met were funny and fun-loving like me. Our house mom, Sue Hodge, who is nicknamed “Shug” is our mom away from home.”
HottyToddy.com — What inspired you to become the President of the sorority?
Grace Glanton — “Actually, the decision to pursue this came very early. It’s an important job. I prefer leadership as it runs in my family. (Grace’s brother was the Beta President at Auburn.) The most important aspect is managing people. Decisions are predicated upon what is best for the group.”
HottyToddy.com — How has this experience better prepared you for life?
Grace Glanton — “It has definitely made be better prepared for time management. I have had to learn how to balance many responsibilities, such as my academic life, my KD life and my social life. The most stressful times for me were the social functions that were sponsored by KD. There are so many details and concerns that must be addressed prior and during the events. This experience was a very positive one in preparing me for a professional career.”
HottyToddy.com — You mentioned stress. Did you ever feel stress by being a role model for so many younger students?
Grace Glanton — “Not really. I welcomed this responsibility.”
HottyToddy.com — When you’re looking for the ideal pledge, what do you look for?
Grace Glanton — “Someone who is well rounded, but different. It takes everybody to make a chapter work. An individual who is conversant and has a personality gets my attention. But this is not to say that a girl who is shy or not as outgoing will not fit in either. Currently we have 384 active members.”
HottyToddy.com — What have you liked most and least about Ole Miss?
Grace Glanton — “The people here are fun, genuinely good individuals. Being so far away from home (five hours by car) has limited my trips back to be with my family.”
HottyToddy.com — You seem to be quite a well rounded individual yourself. What interests you outside of school and family?
Grace Glanton — “I am an avid reader. I am truly fascinated by the Harry Potter series. I envision myself as the character. I have read all seven books five times each! I love sports and our family looks forward to football weekends. I am dating someone who is also from Georgia. We started going out about one and a half years ago.”
HottyToddy.com — Returning to sorority life, what about those young ladies who remain as an independent?
Grace Glanton —”I was more comfortable pledging and becoming part of a group. There are pros and cons of doing both. And there are improvements that can be made within the process. For example, when I pledged rush did not occur until mid October. Many girls felt undue pressure as they thought they were always being watched and under a microscope. The classes are too large in my opinion. Bringing more chapters to Ole Miss would be strengthen the overall system. I have been asked by some girls who chose the independent life that isn’t being in a sorority like paying for your friends. I never viewed it that way. For me, living in the house, dining there and the fellowship was a great experience.”
HottyToddy.com — What does your future hold?
Grace Glanton — “I want to teach in an inner city school where students are at risk. I have three cities in mind presently that are of interest to me. These are Nashville, Charleston and Atlanta.”
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.
