April 7, 2021

Welcome!

Although Blue joined SUNY Empire State College in early 2020, her meteoric rise to fame as a result of her first appearance at SUNY's 2021 Mascot Madness competition has people asking, "Just who is that bird?"

Blue started as a bracket buster in her first ever appearance in SUNY's Mascot Madness. By the end she was a bird of prey, feasting on higher seeds as she sprung upset after upset on her way to the Mascot Madness Final Four. Unfortunately, that is where her Cinderella story will end.

In her toughest tussle yet, Blue came up just short of slaying Red the Dragon from SUNY Oneonta 2,614 votes to 2,628 votes. It was a valiant effort from the newcomer, but one that charts a flightpath for future success in next year's tournament.

Figuratively speaking, we like to say that Blue was born from the collective values, grit, and determination of the SUNY Empire community. But if we’re being literal, Blue was born in a well-constructed nest tucked into the eaves of SUNY’s system administration building in Albany, New York.

Blue had two siblings, both of whom flew the coop after several weeks of feasting on regurgitated insects and perfecting rigorous wing-strengthening exercises. Blue was, at first, reluctant to leave the “castle” she called home, but eventually set off on her own to explore the great state her genus represents. Her siblings met moderate success – one appeared in a PBS documentary series about flight migration, and the other lent her likeness to a major credit-card company.

But her siblings’ flash-in-the-pan accomplishments and bird-brained get-rich-quick schemes did not appeal to Blue. She wanted to achieve something lasting, something that mattered – something that let her soar to new heights.

Remaining true to her unpretentious beginnings (having realized that the SUNY building was not, in fact, a castle) and her innate love for higher education (having actually been born on the flagship of the State University of New York), Blue set off to advance her career at the only SUNY institution without borders, one that stretches statewide in every direction: SUNY Empire State College.

Blue ultimately became the college’s first official mascot, and she has achieved a level of success and fulfillment previously unheard of in the bluebird community. Blue keeps busy traveling the Empire State’s 54,556 square miles, stopping at SUNY Empire’s locations along the way. She enjoys encouraging students to pursue their academic and personal goals – to spread their wings and fly.

Blue has three small children of her own. When she’s not working or tending to her brood, she likes to create TikTok videos, cheer on our esports teams, travel the Northeast, and pursue her passion for lifelong learning through online courses.

All April 2021

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