Peach Living held a question-and-answer session with Macee Thomas, the Chilton County High School graduate who is one of the University of Alabama students who dons the recognizable suit of the school’s Big Al mascot.
Peach Living magazine: Were you always an Alabama fan?
Macee Thomas: Roll Tide! (Yes.)
PL: When did you begin serving as a mascot?
MT: I tried out for Chili going into my seventh grade year. I loved it so much I wanted to continue doing it, so I started the mascot program at the high school.
PL: What mascots have you served as?
MT: Chili, Chil-Co and Big Al.
PL: What do you like about it?
MT: My favorite part would be the opportunity to represent something larger than myself. I love seeing the joy mascots bring to other people as well as myself.
PL: What do you like about Big Al specifically?
MT: Big Al is a friendly mascot. He gets to help with a lot of different community service events. Those are the appearances that make being Big Al worthwhile. Sporting events are really cool, but nothing beats spending an hour with special needs kids or surprising a sick child with a hospital visit.
PL: When did you start wanting to be Big Al?
MT: When I went to UCA cheer camp my ninth grade year, I saw that there was a girl who was a Big Al. It was then that I realized a girl could become a collegiate mascot, and I knew that I wanted to try out for Big Al one day.
PL: What are you studying at UA?
MT: Secondary education mathematics with a minor in business.
PL: What do you plan to do when you graduate?
MT: I hope to become a high school math teacher in Chilton County.
PL: Would you like to stay involved with mascots?
MT: I do hope to be involved with the cheer program at whatever school I am employed with. I also have a job through UCA (Universal Cheerleading Association) instructing middle school and high school mascots. I hope to keep this job as long as I can.