Avery is originally from Lansing, Michigan and currently lives a little bit north of town. For his undergrad degree, he went to Grand Valley State University (about an hour and a half west of East Lansing) where he majored in Biomedical Sciences. He then went to study at Bemidji State University in northern Minnesota for his master's degree in biology. Outside of school, He enjoys watching sports (especially football and basketball) and is an avid fan of the Detroit professional teams.