FSCJ Introduces Mascot Costume and Launches Naming Nominations

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) introduced the manta ray mascot costume on Tuesday, September 17, World Manta Day. The community, FSCJ faculty, staff and students gathered at the FSCJ South Campus Gymnasium, now known as “The Reef,” to get a first glimpse of live mascot.

The manta ray was first announced as FSCJ’s new mascot during the 2024 Commencement Ceremony and, since that time, the costume design process has been in the works.

“The initial search for our new mascot reached viral proportions on campus and throughout the community through the voting process. We knew this was going to be big, but we didn’t anticipate it would become this huge,” said College President John Avendano, Ph.D., “We hope to keep this momentum going as we look to name our new friend.”

The College is collecting name nominations through September 27. From there, the list will be narrowed down for public voting, with plans to announce the final name before the end of the year. Names can be submitted at fscj.edu/mascot.

About FSCJ

Known as “the community’s college,” Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) exists to provide equitable, high quality, success-driven learning experiences for our diverse community of students. Serving more than 40,000 students and awarding 5,000 degrees and certificates on an annual basis, the College plays a significant role in supplying the region’s employers with a highly skilled, educated workforce.