She Never Told Her Friends She Was the School Mascot, Then Shares Her Secret at Graduation

One Montclair State University student gave her friends the biggest shock of their college careers when she revealed the secret she’d been keeping for four years—that she’s the school mascot. Aly Erario timed her big reveal perfectly. When she removed her mask at graduation, her friends were stunned, to say the least.

The moment went viral in a TikTok video, gathering millions of views. In the video, Aly stands in her mascot costume next to her three friends, all dressed in caps and gowns. When she lifts the mask off her head, their jaws drop before they erupt in laughter.

School Mascot Reveal Video Went Viral

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“I was excited,” Aly said. “I think that in the video, it was just like pure joy. Like, if you look at my face, that was just such a genuine smile.”

@aly.erario Was so hard to keep it a secret but so worth the wait #fyp #mascotreveal #montclairstateuniversity ♬ Thank You for Being a Friend - Alyssa Bonagura

Only one of Aly’s friends knew about her secret, who helped her plan the moment. Aly’s surprise added more glue to her friend group’s already strong bond.

“We’ve all been pretty attached at the hip,” Aly said. “We stuck together. We went on a cruise together. They’re great friends and I’m excited to see where they go in the future.”

Keeping the Secret Wasn’t Easy

Keeping the secret was hard, especially since Aly was roommates with one of her friends. But, lucky for Aly, none of them ever put two and two together.

“Mascotting has been absolutely unforgettable, an insane privilege that I never would have dreamed of having, and it’s an experience that I will hold near to my heart forever,” Aly said. “I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and will miss being my favorite bird(s) so much!”

What’s Next for The College Graduate

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A post shared by Aly:) (@alyerario)

Aly was thrilled with her mascot career and is applying the lessons she learned in her next step as an intern with Carnival Cruise Line.

Being a mascot showed her that she can work a crowd, and she’s more of a people person than she initially thought. It taught her that even though it was painful to hide a secret, seeing the joy on her friends' faces was worth the hard work she put into it.

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h/t: People

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/alyerario

Michaela Gordoni is an avid reader and part-time globe-trotter. With a bachelor's degree in International Relations and experience in the non-profit world, she has a passion for people and reporting. You can check out her portfolio here.