COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — When most people see her, she's a large yellow eagle clad in a purple suit. But in a few days, she will walk across the stage as a student of studio art and claim her degree.
Zarria Clark has been Tennessee Tech's mascot for around two-and-a-half years, attending games and events as Awesome Eagle. During the year, the mascot's true identity is a secret. But as she prepares to graduate on Dec. 13, the school said she is ready to reveal who is behind the mask.
She said she was chosen for the role after sending a video audition filmed in her front yard since she was on vacation with her family when tryouts were held.
During her sophomore year, she also said she spotted Awesome Eagle on campus and approached him. She said she whispered that she wanted to one day be Awesome Eagle. In response, the mascot acted out a silent chuckle, according to the release.
“I can express myself in ways on campus that I would normally be shy to do, in front of big groups of people,” she said in a release. “I think just being able to make a group of people happy, entertained and engaged is something I am called to do.”
Before attending Tennessee Tech, Clark was the mascot of her Strawberry Plains high school. She said she enrolled at Tennessee Tech because she enjoyed the university campus and said it had an ideal enrollment size.
At Tennessee Tech, she attended every major event and even brought Awesome Eagle to an alumni wedding. Clark also said she is training her successor to be the mascot when she graduates. The upcoming spring semester will mark the centennial anniversary of Tennessee Tech adopting its Golden Eagles moniker.
She also said she dreams of one day creating a space where artists of several disciplines can collaborate and share their work.
