The secret’s out: Meet four graduating Busters

The first rule of being Buster is don't talk about being Buster.

For most school mascots, this tends to be the case: the students in the suit must keep their identity hidden in order to preserve the illusion that the mascot is its own living entity. But upon graduation, mascots retire, and the cat - or the Bronco - is out of the bag.

Boise State had five Busters graduate in spring 2026: Isaac Celedon, Wyatt Flick, Madeline Makowski, Kennedy Morton and Alex Snow. We caught up with four of these Busters to learn more about the students behind the mask.

Isaac Celedon, economics and political science major

You may know Celedon from his role as ASBSU president, or his speech at this spring's Saturday evening commencement ceremony. He was also a Buster for two years.

Celedon - who grew up in Boise - first started as Buster after losing his first bid for ASBSU president, when he was searching for alternative ways to be involved on campus. One of his favorite Buster-related memories was traveling to Eastern Idaho with football players Marco Notarainni and Ahmed Hassanein.

"At the time, I was just this random student who they didn't really know, and so I had to be like, 'Oh, yeah, I'm the mascot.' They're like, 'What?'" Celedon said. "Those are my favorite [memories]: meeting my community members in suit, but also getting to meet student athletes who you always hear about."

Post-graduation, Celedon is taking a gap year to focus on studying for the LSAT.

Madeline Makowski, geoscience major

Makowski grew up in Northview, Michigan. She chose Boise State for its outdoor recreation opportunities and well-known school spirit. A competitive dancer throughout her childhood, Makowski brought her background in performing to her role as Buster. Some of her favorite Buster-related memories, she said, took place at Albertsons Stadium.

"It was just so exhilarating being in the suit, getting to hype up the crowd, being able to do run out and have all eyes on you," Makowski said. "Game days were really the best here at home."

In addition to her role as Buster, Makowski did research on garnet stress gradients with Professor Matt Cohn while at Boise State. She presented at multiple conferences throughout her undergraduate career.

After graduating, Makowski is moving to Reno, Nevada, for a job at the mining company RESPEC.

Kennedy Morton, elementary education major

Morton describes herself as a shy person, but felt like taking on the character of Buster helped her experience being outgoing.

"Buster's very bold and isn't afraid to take up space," Morton said. "I thought it'd be fun to try that out, while having the safeguard that this is a persona I'm playing."

Morton always got a big smile on her face when, while inside the Buster suit, she got to interact with a real-life friend. "I just felt like, okay, I know something you don't," she said. "You'll know eventually, but this is really funny right now."

Born and raised in Boise, Morton plans to stay in the area long-term and work as an elementary school teacher.

Alex Snow, accounting major

Hailing from Montesano, Washington, Snow chose Boise State for its beautiful campus and spirit-filled sports culture. Like Makowski, Snow brought an extensive dance background to his role as Buster.

"I danced for about nine years growing up, and I did hip-hop through high school, so I wanted to continue that," Snow said.

If Snow had to choose, he said his favorite memory as Buster would have to be at the pep rally the day before the 2025 Fiesta Bowl. "I was [standing] on this block, and the fans were so excited to see me, so excited to hear from everybody else," he said. "It was just an electric atmosphere."

Post-graduation, Snow is remaining at Boise State for his master's degree in accountancy taxation.

Are you the next Buster Bronco? Learn more about the audition process.

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