Correction: An earlier version of this story claimed that Madison Klinger was the first student to ever depict the University of Miami mascot. According to UM, there were other female mascots, but on Wednesday the school said it had no official records.
Last week, Madison Klinger finally revealed a secret she had been closely guarding for three years.
Dressed in fluffy yellow boots, the graduate, announced at the University of Miami admission ceremony, slipped across the stage, leading a crowd of thousands in the latest “CANE-S” ceremony.
The noisy demonstration officially revealed that Klinger became the first student to introduce Sebastian Ibis, the cult school mascot of Miami, in a while. It also shocked many close friends of the Fort Myers native who were unaware of her feathered alter ego.
“It’s a big secret on campus to protect Sebastian’s identity,” Klinger said. “At graduation, everyone asked, ‘How did I not know?’ It was unexpected to be filled with such great love and support. “
Klinger began dressing at age 14, dressing as “Little Zack,” the Sachsby mascot after her mother Rusty Klinger. opened first place in the Southwest Florida Network in 2014.
“If you have a family business and you need someone to jump in, a chicken suit gets your child,” Rusty Klinger said. “It was amazing to see how strongly she perceived it. The rest is history. “
Great softball playerMadison assisted Bishop Vero Hai win the state championship in 2016. She also dressed as the school mascot “Viking Viking”.
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In Miami, Klinger formed an exclusive team of students acting as a costumed university ambassador as a sophomore. She then spent the next three years picking up creative excuses why she couldn’t visit the football gates in Miami or sit in the stands while playing with her sisters.
“People saw me on the field before the game, so I told them I work with the sports department, help with equipment or do social media,” she said. “It was hard to keep the stories straight.”
Being Sebastian involved much more than just attending Hurricanes sporting events. The legendary character is a welcome guest of honor at children’s hospitals, primary and secondary schools, bar mitzvahs, weddings and more.
While each student in their own way gives away the identity of the mascot, Klinger said she feels at home during activities with children.
“In my group, I was known as the children or the Seb community,” she said. “I just loved children to death. They would be very happy that I was there and the parents too.
Klinger, who enrolled in Miami, planning to enroll in medical school as a pediatric neurologist, has left a bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminology. This fall, she will begin earning a master’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina and wants to work as a clinical social worker. She said part of her decision to change careers was due to her experience as Sebastian.
“Being Sebastian helped me get there,” she said. “It made me connect in schools and other areas where I saw children from all walks of life.
“I knew I wanted to help children who were at a disadvantage. It is unfair that they do not have the same access to resources that other children have if their future can be equal. I want to help break this circle. “
Klinger said she would value her time the most, as Sebastian would not be running around the field in crowded stadiums and would not be able to travel around the country.
“I will remember how happy I made people,” she said. “For me, it was the best part.”
Contact Dan DeLuca: @ News-PressDan (Twitter), ddeluca@gannett.com.
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