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How School Mascots Are Celebrating This Year’s Graduates

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Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, graduation ceremonies have changed drastically this year. Many graduating students could only attend their ceremonies in a limited capacity, often celebrating through a virtual screen. Since graduation is supposed to be a momentous milestone for any pupil, high schools and universities have taken note of this unusual situation. To help boost the morale, school mascots are being used across campuses to make the graduations more festive.

For many students, nothing can replicate the authentic experience of walking across a stage and receiving the school diploma. The absence of a graduation ceremony can seem disappointing, especially when the students worked so hard to reach this achievement. However, seeing the familiar face of a friendly school mascot may just help ease the sting a little. These lively school mascots can provide a great boost of joy and cheer for the graduating students.

During COVID-19, there have been many creative uses of school mascot ideas. Each idea made the high school or college graduations uniquely memorable for the students. We compiled a list of six interesting school mascot ideas that celebrated the graduating students in style:

1. Connetquot Thunderbird Mascot (Connetquot High School)

For the graduating class of Connetquot High School, it may have seemed extraordinary to see a group of teachers show up outside their homes. Dozens of faculty members, accompanied by the Connetquot Thunderbird school mascot, arrived to celebrate each student’s graduation through a special home visit. According to the principal, it should take a week to visit over 500 graduating students.

The staff members wanted to give the students a memorable way to celebrate the incredible milestone amid COVID-19. With the Connetquot Thunderbird dancing merrily in the pack, the group arrived at each house to deliver the graduation caps and gowns. Students commemorated the moment in front of a celebratory lawn sign. Plus, they got to hang out with the Thunderbird mascot, which is always a fun experience!

2. Boomer the Bear Mascot (Missouri State University)

At Missouri State University, the school made special arrangements to add a dose of star power to the virtual commencement address. In a recorded video, the university president was joined by the school mascot, Boomer the Bear, to announce there would be a special guest speaker.

After a charming exchange between the president and the school mascot, Missouri State finally revealed the celebrity speaker: Brad Pitt. Students were amazed to see Pitt deliver a virtual message, congratulating the graduates on their accomplishments. Appearing in the video, Pitt’s words were: “Hi everyone, Brad here from quarantine. It must be very strange doing this in these trying times, but we’re rooting for you. Our money is on you to make this world a better place, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours.”

The creative video was an instant hit on social media, accruing thousands of Twitter likes and retweets since May. This was a brilliant school mascot idea to make the graduation remarkable, executed perfectly with the help of the president, Boomer the Bear, and Brad Pitt himself.

3. Rocky the Red Hawk Mascot (Montclair State University)

There’s something tantalizing about a mascot’s secret identity. It’s enthralling and fascinating to wonder who waits underneath the custom mascot costume. This concept has become a central theme for Montclair State University’s mascot, Rocky the Red Hawk. Each year, the mascot has his identity revealed to the student population at the university’s commencement. Naturally, this wasn’t an option during the coronavirus pandemic.

As a result, Rocky the Red Hawk took to social media to deliver his reveal, putting the students’ curiosity to rest at last. Ja’Quan Dees posted the video to his Instagram account, accompanied by a special message: “Being on Team Rocky was one of the best college experiences I’ve had. I’ve met people that I will call family forever and been to places that I never thought I’d go.”

Dees was joined by other graduating seniors who also worked as Rocky the Red Hawk. Overall, the video message was sincere, heartfelt, and resonated positively with the graduating class at Montclair State.

4. Chester and Melrose Mascots (Widener University)

Alongside graduation, getting accepted into a university is also a big deal for high school students. As such, Widener University decided that they would accept some potential students in a celebratory manner. They did this by putting their two mascots on a bus and sending them all over the region.

Chester and Melrose, the two lion mascots, visited graduates to make the special announcement. The mascots met with many prospective students to take pictures, give high fives, and present yard sign displays. This school mascot idea became so popular that Widener University even began receiving visitation requests from numerous families.

Of course, the university went to great lengths to ensure these trips were safe. They provided coronavirus screenings to the visitation team, measured seat distance in the shuttle bus, and made sure all safety guidelines were followed. The mascot cleaning protocols were properly pursued to ensure the safest experience possible.

5. RapidMan Mascot (Colorado Rapids FC)

The graduating students in Colorado may not have experienced a usual commencement ceremony. However, they did get a pleasant home visit from RapidMan, the sports mascot at Colorado Rapids FC, who showed up with balloons, confetti, and a basket of gifts.

While respecting the social distancing guidelines, the RapidMan mascot visited several high school students and even posed with them for a picture. This school mascot idea helped to give the students, who are Colorado Rapids fans, a nice mini alternative to their graduation ceremonies.

6. Hobby School Eagle Mascot (Hobby Middle School)

In San Antonio, the Adopt a Senior program is a good way to make one senior’s graduation feel acknowledged. By taking part in this program, the volunteer is assigned to a senior who will be graduating. This volunteer is tasked with presenting the student with charitable gifts to celebrate their achievements. The presents, which range from snacks to gift cards, can be quite meaningful during a time of quarantine.

Shane Hosey, a teacher at Hobby Middle School, participated in this program. To make the experience more memorable, Hosey put on his school’s eagle mascot costume and delivered the gifts to the student personally. Imagine the student’s joy, meeting a school mascot with a collection of handpicked goodies! Not only did the graduate receive praise, presents, and recognition for their hard work, but they also got to hang out with a respected mascot as well.

Celebrate your school’s graduation in style with a custom mascot designed by the Hogtown Mascots team. Contact us to learn more!