Three faces walked across the stage at Vanderbilt’s undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 9. To their friends, they are Sean Richardson, Kira Grossman and Kaleb Whiteside. To the rest of the student body, for the past three or four years, they have been known as Mr. Commodore. 

Mr. Commodore — known more commonly as Mr. C — is the beloved Vanderbilt mascot. They are always there for any event, whether it is for upsets of top-10 teams on the weekend, fundraiser events or even first-year move-in day. Who exactly occupies the suit, though, is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets on campus. These three seniors have kept this classified information to themselves for years; but now, as they graduate from Vanderbilt, the secret is out.

Each of the three found Mr. C in different ways: Richardson joined from the moment he stepped on campus, while Grossman and Whiteside joined in the spring of their first year. For some, they didn’t even know if being Mr. C was something they would stick with.

“[When I joined] I was like, ‘I can always quit if I don’t like it,’ but [it ended up being] the best thing I have done on campus,” Grossman said. 

Now, as they prepare to walk across the commencement stage, they reflect on the experience as one of the most unique and rewarding things they have been a part of on campus. Wherever they go in the Mr. C suit, smiles always follow. 

“I think one of the more interesting and unique experiences about being a mascot is that when you go anywhere, people’s eyes are all on you,” Richardson said. “That can be very new for some people, but at the same time, most people are happy to see you. So you have this opportunity and responsibility to go into a place and instantly make everybody’s experiences or days better.”

An experience like no other

Unbeknownst to onlookers is the amount of time and practice it takes to be Mr. C. There are athletic games and meets for every varsity team, campus events and community work, not to mention individual spirit team practices and competitions. Through these experiences, they have developed a greater appreciation for the time it takes to participate in and run one of Vanderbilt’s programs. 

“We’ve seen [and been to] a lot of stuff in our time here, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing how much goes into it. It’s something I’ve never really thought about,” Whiteside said.

The trio has seen some of the worst and best moments of Vanderbilt athletics in their four years, from East Tennessee State’s 23-3 win over Vanderbilt in football to both basketball teams making the NCAA Tournament this season. Through it all, these three relished in the increased student turnout and athletic program success this year.  

“We were the first people on the field when everyone else stormed [after the] Alabama [win in football and] the Tennessee games,” Richardson said. “When people are excited, that energy feeds into you, and you can give it back to everyone. At least for me, it was more fun doing the game this year.”

Through these fan interactions, new relationships are constantly made with people who might not even recognize them on campus. 

“I think one thing that’s fun is to go to games [and], over time, recognize some of the same people,” Whiteside said. “It’s so much fun to see these people and have a relationship with them.”

While seeing the athletic programs grow right before their eyes, Grossman, Richardson and Whiteside have seen the spirit program grow immensely, something which they attribute to their coach, Kelsea Giantonio. 

“Watching [the] spirit team grow, all of that is due to our coach,” Grossman said. “She has done a fantastic job growing the spirit team and advocating for us. She has always supported us relentlessly, and a lot of [it is] behind the scenes, like getting us athletic gear or meals at Hendrix. This is the first year that the spirit team [will] graduate with the other athletes.”

With Giantonio’s hard work and advocacy for the spirit program, it has flourished, and this senior trio has been at the center of it all. For the past two years, the spirit team has traveled to nationals while Mr. C has competed in the mascot division, where a 92-second skit is performed; most recently, Mr. C won second place. 

“We started competing last year [and] we had a very small team,” Grossman said. “We [came] second this year, which is kind of crazy [as it was] our second year doing it.” 

Friendship 

This responsibility and mission to better the fan experience, paired with the anonymity of being Mr. C, is so unique that they often find themselves turning to each other. 

“Because we don’t tell people that we’re Mr. C, [they are] often some of the only people that you can talk about things with. So there is definitely a strong-knit bond between us and even the [mascots] that graduated.”

Grossman echoed Richardson’s sentiment, commenting that she has met some of her best friends through the spirit program in part because of the unique anonymity aspect. 

“[Being Mr. C] has brought a lot of new friendships,” Grossman said. “I love our team. These guys are my best friends, and I wouldn’t know them if it weren’t for the spirit team.”

These three best friends, united by the unique experience of being the face of Vanderbilt, will now embark on the next chapter of their lives, but a piece of them will always be Mr. Commodore.

This story was originally published on The Vanderbilt Hustler on May 9, 2025.