Scrappy is now a journalist. An advocate. An entrepreneur. An archaeologist. We caught up with a few alumni who have performed as UNT's beloved Eagle mascot. While they have pursued a range of career paths, they all still have a piece of Scrappy in their heart. Read more about their favorite memories.

Cheering Others

"My favorite thing about being a mascot, especially being a boy mascot, is that you get to be somebody that you're absolutely not," says Kim Fischer ('02), who majored in radio, TV and film, now media arts. "I got to put that costume on and become a totally different person."

She's played many roles in her life -- from supporting the sports teams in college to serving as an advocate for others in her career.

Fischer, who grew up in Sugar Land, was a mascot in high school and auditioned when she found out about the Scrappy tryouts.

As Scrappy, she emptied a big box of Cheer detergent and used it as a sign to stir up the crowd. She threw confetti and footballs and gave playful noogies to kids.

"And I loved to dance with the band," she says.

She played Scrappy during her freshman and sophomore years. In her junior year, she focused more on her studies, two jobs and NTTV assignments.

Fischer worked as a TV news reporter in several Texas cities and then as an anchorwoman in Salt Lake City for seven years -- highlighting stories that protected women and children. Now she serves as head of marketing and communications for Waterford.org, which creates educational software for children.

In 2015, she advocated for state legislation that defined consent for people who were incapable, such as those who have a disability or are incapacitated due to alcohol.

Fischer, who was abused as a child, is grateful when others tell her that her activism has helped them. "I wanted to use that experience to make life better for others," she says.

-- Jessica DeLeón

'An Absolute Blast'

Tyler Richardson ('08) performed as a clown for community events in his hometown of Midland when he was a kid.

So, when he learned about open tryouts for Scrappy, his fraternity brothers encouraged him with a $500 wager.

"I would have probably done it for a $10 bet at that point," he says. "I put on the suit and did my thing, and I was Scrappy the Eagle for three years after that."

Besides some great memories -- including performing at the New Orleans Bowl in 2002 and 2003 -- the gig helped him find connections and confidence.

"It gave me a real sense of school pride," he says. "And then, on top of that, when else can you put on a suit and a mask, and act like a complete fool, and be funny and not be really held accountable for your goofy actions? It was an absolute blast."

The only negative effect was the heat. He would switch out with two other performers during different parts of football games.

But he met lifelong friends and gained networking skills that propelled his career in real estate and community service.

Richardson, a sociology major, serves as president of BlueHaven Homes, as well as president of the Manda Strong Foundation, a nonprofit that grants wishes to mothers with cancer. He met his wife, Brooke Carroll Richardson ('06), at UNT, and they have four children.

His advice to future Scrappys can apply on and off the field.

"Soak it up," he says. "Be intentional, and be truly present. As Scrappy, you're setting the tone whether we're winning or we're losing. It's Scrappy's duty to help set that atmosphere."

-- Jessica DeLeón

Sharing Her Spirit

Alyceson-Grace Eke ('21) dove straight into a laundry list of extracurricular activities during her first semester as a business economics major -- including dancing with the North Texas Emeralds.

But as a success-driven and energetic person, Eke sought to share her spirit on a competition team -- reminiscent of her high school days in Carrollton.

Organized by students, the Emeralds didn't qualify for competitions.

The next semester, Eke had a life-changing epiphany after noticing a flyer for Scrappy the Eagle tryouts while eating with two friends in Kitchen West.

"It clicked," she says, remembering the moment. "I knew I wanted to do this."

Beginning as a handler (Scrappy's assistant), Eke worked her way up to performing at main events like halftime shows and basketball games. She retired in 2022 after graduating with her bachelor's in 2021 and finishing a graduate school assistantship.

"I was able to be myself," she says. "If I am unapologetically myself, somebody out there is going to believe it's OK to do the same."

Throughout her tenure wearing talons, Eke was happiest competing at the National Cheerleaders Association College Nationals in Florida and seeing kids smile while visiting schools across North Texas.

A longtime tutor of economics, Eke is now self-employed following three years in a corporate bank position.

As "The Econ Queen," she travels across the DFW area teaching financial literacy to people of all ages -- including UNT students.

"My desire to help people inspired me," she says. "I'm an empath through and through."

-- Bradford Osborne

Scaling New Heights

When Izabella Klipsch ('23) first tried on the Scrappy costume, it was unwieldy with its giant feet and net mesh under the beak.

But she adapted. "It would be fun to see how far I could take it, because at first, I was like, 'Oh, I could never run in this thing. I could never jump and do handstands and stuff.' By the end, I was sprinting with the cheerleaders."

Klipsch, an interdisciplinary studies major who grew up in several cities, including Denton, performed as Scrappy for two and a half years after helping out Erin Klokker Mangwiro ('22), who served as mascot during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, Klipsch has earned her master's degree in paleolithic archaeology and paleoanthropology at University College London and will pursue her doctorate this fall at Cardiff University in Wales.

Klipsch was inspired to pursue a career in that field after taking an archaeology class at UNT and a study abroad class at the University of Birmingham, which included time at an excavation site in Wales.

She plans to study the domestication of dogs, which covers the time period from 30,000 to 50,000 years ago. But it was that other animal that gave her the confidence to pursue her goals. Klipsch remembers she was scared as she scaled down the side of DATCU Stadium as part of a fundraiser -- her last event as the Eagle.

"I was very emotional because I got down off the wall, and I knew that I would get to wave and hug and say goodbye to everyone," she says. "I'd never done anything like that before, and Scrappy's never done anything like that before."

-- Jessica DeLeón