Because leprechauns are fictional characters, why does it have to be strictly male? That was exactly the question that Lynnette Wukie from the University of Notre Dame posed and so with that in mind, she auditioned to be the school mascot and landed the role.
"I talked about being a role model (during the tryout process) because even through high school and into college, it's always been important to me to be someone people can look up to," Wukie said. "I think I hadn't (yet) found that thing, like I wasn't fulfilling my true purpose here to be that face and that role model, so when this opportunity came about I thought it was destiny. This is what I'm meant to be doing."
Wukie won her spot "thanks to her passionate outlook and dedication to leadership," the university said.
Donning the green suit, Wukie will not only be the first woman to be the mascot but she will also be the second black student to represent the school.
Apart from Wukie, there are two others, Samuel Jackson and Conal Fagan, who will also masquerade as leprechauns as the school has three leprechaun spots: gold, blue, and green, each with their own responsibility. -via Jezebel
(Image credit: University of Notre Dame)