She Never Told Her Friends She Was the School Mascot, Then Shares Her Secret at Graduation
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
“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
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.
This content originally appeared on GodTube.com; used with permission.
Photo Credit: ©Instagram/alyerario
Originally published May 29, 2025.
