This is the moment a student surprised her friends by revealing she had been the college mascot for over a year.
Aly Erario, 22, revealed her secret identity to her closest friends on their graduation day.
Aly has now graduated from Montclair State University in New Jersey and over the last year she has been the institution’s sporting mascot Rocky the Red Hawk.
Mascots are told to not reveal who they really are until their senior year classes are finished, so Aly had been waiting a while to share the news.
Finally, while posing with her friends as Rocky on graduation day, Aly got to take off the mask and show them it had been her all along.
Aly, a radio office manager in Newark, New Jersey, said: “The moment played out better than I ever could have imagined.
“I have rewatched the video so many times and smile every time because of how happy I was to be sharing this secret with some of my favorite people.
“My adrenaline was also through the roof the entire morning with the nerves, excitement and anticipation.
“Truthfully, this has been a moment that I’ve thought about for such a long time and it was bizarre that it was finally happening.”
Aly had first gotten into being part of ‘Team Rocky’ over a year and a half ago when she was looking to step outside her comfort zone during college.
There is a group of students who take on different roles to support the mascot, including those who work as handlers during the games, leading Rocky around.
She first started by being a handler and playing Rocky’s sister, Roxy the Red Hawk, for about six months before she first became Rocky himself.
Aly supported games and attended events as Rocky for the entirety of her senior year and considers it one of the best parts of her college experience.
Aly said: “Seeing people smile and get so excited to see the school mascot felt so rewarding, and I loved knowing that I was able to bring a little bit of joy into people’s days.
“In terms of opportunities, I have two that I would consider my favorites.
“This past academic year, we transitioned into a “new look” for Rocky and Roxy, and I was able to debut the new Roxy suit, which was very exciting!
“I was also able to travel to Daytona, Florida, with the team, which was an incredible experience.”
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