As I heard the entire school chanting “take it off” my nerves were at an all-time high. After all, I had been waiting for this exact moment for a whole year, and now I was standing in front of the entire school as they were all waiting to see who had been behind the suit all year. If I’m being honest, as soon as I took off the head and my eyes met daylight, my mind went blank. The field was so bright and I had no idea where to look. The first thing I do remember seeing is my friends’ faces as they rushed out for tug of war, and in that moment I knew I had done a good job with the reveal. I think the fact that I had managed to keep such a big secret all year was more surprising than me actually being the mascot.
While I was excited to finally reveal myself as the mascot, I was also disappointed that yet another part of my time in high school was coming to an end. One of the reasons I wanted to be Marty the Mustang was because I thought it might make the end of high school more fun. Little did I know, I’d end up loving being the mascot so much that it would make me sad to know I’d never get to wear the costume again.
However, now that the secret is finally out, I am so relieved to not have to hide it or make up bad lies to avoid suspicion. Only a few people were in on the secret, which was a difficult one to keep. Besides having to lie to just about everyone I know, the hardest part of being Marty was trying not to pass out inside the suit. Everything you’ve heard about mascot suits being hot, sweaty, dark and just all-around gross is true. While dressing up as a large horse might not have been the most glamorous job, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I think for the most part, anyone who knows me knows just how spirited I am, which is one of the reasons I thought I’d be a good fit for the position. So I approached Mr. Vandenberge about the job at the end of last May, and I have been the mascot ever since. So anytime you might’ve seen Marty at sports games, pep rallies, or just in the hallway, that was me.
I think some of my favorite moments in the suit would definitely be the 8th grade walkthrough, which was my first time in the suit, the homecoming football game because there were so many kids there and of course the spring pep rally with the whole big reveal. This experience has taught me a great deal about moving on. Initially, I was just looking for a unique end to high school, but after seeing Marriotts Ridge from an outside perspective, I know that no matter where I end up in the next few years, the people I’ve met and the connections I’ve made as a Mustang will support me forever.
I’m beyond grateful to have had this experience, and I can safely say that it’s something I will remember for a long time. I have always loved being a Marriotts Ridge Mustang, so being able to be essentially the face of the school was beyond special to me. From behind the head, I was able to see our school community thrive, and I got to see the true joy and smiles that Marty the Mustang brought along with him. Playing the role of Marty the Mustang was for sure my favorite part of high school, so take it from me, if you ever have a chance to be a mascot, I would highly recommend it. To the underclassmen at Marriotts Ridge, if you have any interest in being the next Marty the Mustang, talk to Mr. Vandenberge.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a high school mascot? Well, my name is Meghan Larsen, and I took on the role of Marty the Mustang for the 2023-24 school year. Anytime you saw that big furry horse, it was me inside the suit, surprised?
Marty’s secret has certainly been a difficult one to keep. Only a select few people were in on the secret purely because being the mascot wouldn’t be possible without them. Honestly, not telling anyone made the reveal so much better since it let me see my peers’ reactions, and made the reveal more dramatic.
To start, I heard that no one else was looking to be the mascot, and I thought that I might be a good fit for the position so at the end of last May, I approached Mr. Vandenberge, about the job. One of our only concerns from the beginning was how well the suit would fit. There was also only a small window in the mouth of the horse for me to see out of, so I was essentially blind, and I couldn’t really hear through the sides of the head, which meant I relied on having an escort most of the time.
My first day in the suit was the 8th-grade walkthrough at the beginning of June, and for the most part, it went pretty well, but there was some trial and error when it came to making the suit work.
That first day was only about 30 minutes, and it was just spent welcoming the 8th graders at their visit, dancing, giving high fives, and taking pictures. Then, after that came the summer, so Marty didn’t have any appearances. I actually forgot that I was the mascot until September when Vandenberge asked me about Homecoming Week.
The fall pep rally was the first time that I would be in the suit in front of the entire school, and then later that night was the homecoming football game. Little did I know, it is nearly impossible to see through a horse’s mouth when it’s pitch black outside. There were tons of kids that I got to say hi to and take pictures with, and I even had an extra large construction vest for Marty to wear so that he could participate in the student section’s neon theme.
Once football season was over, there was a short break before Marty returned for basketball season which came with a few challenges. It was harder to sneak around the building without being noticed, and I also had to figure out how to get the suit on by myself. In addition, there wasn’t much room to move around, so I got run into by a ref once or twice.
After almost a year of not telling anyone, the spring pep rally was coming up very quickly. I was so ready for my big secret to be out in the open, but I was also super anxious to see how everyone would react. As soon as I took off the head, my mind went blank. It was super bright when I first took off the head, but the first thing I remember seeing was the senior girls coming out for tug of war and a bunch of my friends’ faces when they realized it was me. I think the fact that I kept the secret all year was more surprising to most people than the fact that I was the mascot.
I’m beyond grateful for this experience, and I can safely say that it’s something I will remember for a long time. I have always loved being a Marriotts Ridge Mustang, so being able to be essentially the face of the school is beyond special to me. From behind the head, I was able to see our school community from a different perspective, and I got to see the true joy and smiles that Marty the Mustang brought along with him. Playing the role of Marty the Mustang was for sure my favorite part of high school, so take it from me, if you ever have a chance to be a mascot, I would highly recommend it. To the underclassmen at Marriotts Ridge, if you have any interest in being the next Marty the Mustang, talk to Mr. Vandenberge.