Alice senior Janessa Cardona signs on as Texas A&M-Kingsville mascot

Janessa Cardona is taking on one of Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s most visible jobs, a mascot role that will put the Alice High School senior in front of crowds, campus traditions and South Texas school spirit. Instead of a scholarship banner or an athletic commitment, Cardona signed on for a public-facing assignment that calls for energy, timing and the ability to represent a university every time the crowd is watching.

Cardona’s signing gives Alice families a recognizable local name to follow as she moves from Alice High School into Kingsville. The school serves grades 9 through 12 and draws students from across Alice Independent School District and surrounding parts of Jim Wells County, which is why a milestone like this carries weight beyond one campus. It is a hometown student stepping into a role that will be seen by students, alumni and fans at games and events across South Texas.

The job itself carries more history than a typical campus spirit position. Texas A&M-Kingsville says it is the only university in the United States with a javelina as its mascot, and its historical timeline says students selected the Javelina as an official symbol in September 1925, along with blue and gold as the school colors. The university says the choice reflected the animal’s fierce, tenacious behavior, giving Cardona a direct link to a symbol that has defined the school for nearly a century.

The mascot tradition has continued to evolve. University materials say the Porky image first emerged in the 1960s and was designed by Javelina alum Amado Pena, while the beanie on Porky’s head nods to an old freshman tradition that ended in the 1970s. In June 2024, Porky the Javelina was named Higher Impact Entertainment’s 2024 Mascot Training Champion at a camp that featured 18 mascots, a reminder that the role is judged on performance, consistency and audience connection.

Cardona’s new chapter also fits into a larger student-life network at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The university’s Student Engagement and Campus Life office says it supports more than 100 registered student organizations and works to create an out-of-the-classroom experience. For Jim Wells County, Cardona’s signing is another example of a local student moving into a regional university role that blends education, tradition and public representation.