His college journey started not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

But after his freshman year, Carlos Polanco-Zaccardi felt compelled to make a change.

He wanted to experience life in a bigger city. He wanted to be somewhere warmer. And he wanted to see a different part of the country, all while attending a bigger, more well-known school.

And so, even though he’d never visited Miami, he applied to the University of Miami, transferred, and found himself living a life he could never have imagined – as both a student studying business and finance and one of the most iconic mascots in college athletics.

Early into his Miami experience, Polanco-Zaccardi attended an information session for students interested in trying out to become Sebastian the Ibis and was intrigued.

“I called my mom later that day and I was like, ‘Hey, I think this is super awesome and crazy. What do you think about me trying out?’ and my mom was like, ‘Go ahead and go. What’s there to lose?” Polanco-Zaccardi recalled.

He tried out, became Sebastian and for three years, helped create memorable moments for Miami’s fans, student-athletes and, of course, himself.

Hurricanes Magazine asked Polanco-Zaccardi to share some of his story, and what it was like to suit up as Miami’s beloved mascot.

Here’s what he had to say, in his own words…

HM: Now that your time at the University is finished, how would you describe your Miami experience?

CPZ: “Being a student was amazing, honestly. Me, personally, I’m not a fan of small, college towns. I like to go visit them, especially for like a football game, but I love Miami because of the wide variety and diversity we have to do different activities every single night. And the city aspect, that’s what I really enjoyed about moving here.

“I would say as a student, I loved seeing all the different countries and nationalities of the friends that I have. They’ve come from everywhere around the world. … People from the Northeast, people from the West Coast, international students. I just love how diversified Miami is and the University also reflects that [diverse] representation. It’s been amazing to allow myself to be friends with people of many different backgrounds and cultures.”

HM: Why, ultimately, did you decide you wanted to try out to become Sebastian the Ibis?

CPZ: “It was the third day I was in Miami. I never did a college visit to Miami. I had never been to a city like Miami before I moved here. It was a real leap of faith, and I was just like, ‘I want to go, and this is going to be awesome.’ And when I was at CanesFest, where they had all the clubs and organizations at the Watsco [Center], I passed by the Cat Five student section and there was a guy handing out flyers to students. And out of all the students that walked by, this guy pointed to me specifically and was like, ‘Hey, man, come here for a second. I’d love to talk to you.’ At first, I actually said no, I wasn’t interested. But then I told myself, ‘You came here to Miami because of the opportunities. Why are you denying yourself this opportunity?’ … So, I went back to talk to the guy, and it turns out it was Jake Schloemann, the Seb from the Class of 2022. He told me about his whole college experience. … He talked about all the cool perks with the traveling and the experiences, and he gave me a flyer and was like, ‘Hey, there’s this meeting next Tuesday.’ He talked about graduation and that was the cherry on top [for me], the graduation reveal and getting to be the last student to walk the stage and close the ceremony.

“I called my mom later that day and I was like, ‘Hey, I think this is super awesome and crazy. What do you think about me trying out?’ and my mom was like, ‘Go ahead and go. What’s there to lose? If you don’t make it, it is what it is, but you went and you tried. But if you make it and enjoy it as much as you can, once you graduate, you’ll have no regrets.’ And that’s exactly what happened. Also, for me … college football is my favorite sport to watch. For me to have that experience, ties to like a student-athlete lifestyle and then also representing the University, that was one of my favorite things about being Seb and why I decided to try out.”

HM: What was it like to go through the tryout process and becoming Sebastian?

CPZ: “Going to the tryout, I was a little nervous. I’m not going to lie. But I was also confident … because of my athletic ability and my passion, I thought for sure I could easily fit being Seb very well. Being there, I was a little nervous about being quiet in the suits, but everything else, I was confident for. I knew I was going to do great in the dancing part. I knew I was going to be great when it came to being hyped up and having loud reactions and moments.”

HM: What were some of your favorite things about being Sebastian?

CPZ: “I noticed the most enjoyment I got from Seb, or the greatest satisfaction, came when I put other people first. … At football games, Seb’s got to go to different spots. There are lots of demands for him. But I would try my best to stay behind and take a few extra photos if there was a little kid that had been waiting for 15 minutes. Or if we were walking away, and I’d see a little kid that wanted me to sign something, I’d try to do that for them because that’s a memory they can remember for the rest of their lives.”

HM: What are some of the challenges that come with being Sebastian?

CPZ: “Part of it, I would say, is the mental part of it, understanding you’re not Carlos. You’re not the person you embody. When you’re in the suit, you embody something greater than yourself. Understanding the history of The U is very important. And understanding the characteristics of Seb and what he embodies is very important. That’s what makes the Sebastian experience more enjoyable or not. … You have to have the same character, mindset and energy Seb has. It can make your two hours in the suit very fun, or it can be kind of miserable and very long.

“The secrecy thing is hard as well. I would say 20 to 25 people knew who I was during my time as Seb. I had friends I’d known for more than two years that didn’t find out until graduation. … so, I would say those two things were the hardest things about being Seb.”

HM: What were some of your favorite moments or events as Sebastian?

CPZ: “Well, the first one would definitely be the Bahamas trip and the engagement to Gigi. I’d never been to the Bahamas before and Seb, I don’t think, has traveled internationally in more than 10 years. It’s been quite a while. I’d also say witnessing the women’s basketball team’s Sweet 16 win and reaching their first Elite Eight, against Villanova [in 2023]. … To be able to storm the court, to see them make history, and I’ll never forget seeing the [reception] Katie Meier got from the fans who stayed to applaud the team. They were all absolutely ecstatic about doing something that the women’s team had never accomplished before. …

“And then I would say the football game at Louisville in 2024. It was like my homecoming game. My family got to drive down and see me in suit for the game. We got pictures at the end of the game, pre-game, and I loved that. It was very meaningful. … That was the first time my dad got to see me in the suit, and it was just awesome. And it was a fun game overall. I got to do so many cool, fun things that I really enjoyed, but that’s probably my top three.”

HM: How would you describe the essence of Sebastian and what is it that you think makes him so special?

CPZ: “I would say Sebastian represents more than just the University itself. I think he represents the entire city of Miami as a whole, when it comes to his swag, when it comes to the fun, when it comes to his character. … People soak up Sebastian’s energy and his vibe everywhere he goes. And again, that’s one of the things I love about him, the difference you can make when you step in the suit. In some ways, all eyes are on you. It’s up to you to make sure you can establish a great presence and experiences for people when you’re in the suit.”

HM: So, tradition dictates that Sebastian reveals himself at graduation. What was that experience like for you?

CPZ: “That was the greatest moment I’ve had in my life so far. That was the greatest two minutes I’ve ever had. The lights were so bright, that I couldn’t see the back row of the Watsco Center, but I could see a full crowd from onstage, celebrating. My family, in the front right row, hooting and hollering the entire time and then being able to wave to them and blow them kisses from the stage. It was three years of hard work and grinding and suffering and fun, and those two minutes made it all worth it and that’s something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”

HM: So, how did people react when they found out you were Sebastian?

CPZ: “A lot of people were awestruck that I was Sebastian. Some of them couldn’t see it at first. They couldn’t see me doing something like this, and others just didn’t put the pieces together. I tried so hard to come up with as many crazy excuses and cover-ups as I could for when I couldn’t go places or do certain things. … It was fun, though. For three years, I was keeping kind of like a fantasy, superhero life, like Batman and Bruce Wayne.”

HM: Now that your time as Sebastian is finished, and you can reflect on the whole journey, what did it mean to you to be part of the flock?

CPZ: “I always tell myself this is the second-greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life. The first was transferring to The U. If I had never transferred, I would have never been able to go through this journey. I think for me, just helping others, putting people first and seeing how you can really make an impact on the community and for people, learning what it was like to be more than just yourself, that was the greatest satisfaction.

“There were times where I felt too tired or personal things came up and maybe I wasn’t in the mood to suit up, but those kinds of moments also allowed me to just appreciate that I could be Seb and bring other people joy. That was awesome. And I think the support I got after my reveal was just one of the coolest things. … There are people who are inviting me to their tailgates next season, thanking me for being Seb … I’m just happy. I was more than blessed and honestly, very honored to receive all that love and all the kind things people were saying.”