JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The second quarter of the Stanton at Paxon game kicked off and the student section went wild; the Paxon Golden Eagle mascot was making an entrance.
Jazmine Alomar is the student behind the Paxon Golden Eagle. She was on the dance team for her sophomore year, then promoted to the captain in her junior year.
In Jazmine’s senior year, the administration got rid of the dance team.
But Jazmine wouldn’t let that stop her. When she got the opportunity to show her school spirit, she couldn’t refuse.
“I loved all the cheerleaders, I knew all the cheers and I knew all the dances so they said I would be perfect for it,” Jazmine said.
She accepted an offer to become the official mascot.
[ Vote for the Friday Night Blitz Game of the Week ]
School spirit runs in Jazmine’s family.
“My mom was a mascot when she was in high school. So she said it would be fun," Jazmine said.
One of Jazmine’s favorite things about being mascot is the silliness of being undercover.
“I get to mess with people, it’s so much fun," Jazmine said.
Jazmine recalled her first experience in the Golden Eagle suit. A small child was terrified of her costume.
“Throughout the game, I held his hand and let him follow me around. He got used to me and gave me a hug at the end of the game," Jazmine said.
Experiences like this lead Jazmine to believe she influences school spirit.
[ Subscribe: Get Breaking News delivered to Your Mobile Device ]
“I affect school spirit in a major way. I get the crowd hyped, I mess with the cheerleaders. We had a pep rally today and I was getting everyone rowdy," Jazmine said.
Jazmine says her biggest challenge is dealing with the heat and still having to entertain the crowd.
She beats the heat with a special hydration system.
“I have a backpack that I fill with water and ice. It has a little string and I can drink water out of that the whole entire time," Jazmine said.
The heat isn’t bad as enough to stop her, though. “I don’t mind having the suit on, it’s fun," Jazmine said.
Although some mascots hold to a code of secrecy, Jazmine has fun with her role.
“Not a lot of people actually know it’s me, but I don’t mind people knowing that I’m the mascot," Jazmine said.
Jazmine encourages other students who may have had their programs cut to persevere until they find a role that fits them perfectly, like her Golden Eagle costume.