2023 Mascot Hall of Fame Greatest Community Impact Award Winner
Kanga is the proud mascot of Killeen High School in Killeen, Texas — home of the Kangaroos. Killeen is a city with deep military ties, sitting adjacent to Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood), one of the largest active-duty military installations in the world. That community context — transient, diverse, and constantly welcoming new families — makes student connection and school pride not just desirable but genuinely necessary. Kanga stepped up to that challenge in a big way, earning the 2023 Mascot Hall of Fame Greatest Community Impact Award (High School category) for an initiative that met students exactly where they are: on their phones.
Connecting Students Through Social Media
Recognizing that traditional methods of reaching young people were losing ground fast, Kanga launched a student-run Instagram account, @kangatheroo_ , designed to plug students into school life and keep the broader community engaged. The account covers a wide range of content, including promoting school events and activities, highlighting the week’s opponent mascot, supporting the band at marching competitions, creating visually engaging game-week posts, and running #ThrowbackThursdays to spotlight alumni mascots.
The results have been tangible. Student attendance at sporting events, band concerts, and other school activities has visibly increased since the account launched. Alumni have re-engaged with campus life. And the local community has taken notice.
More Than Likes and Followers
What makes this initiative stand out is its intentionality. The account actively promotes inclusivity, diversity, and respectful interaction within the Killeen High School community — using the reach of social media not just for entertainment but as a genuine tool for school culture-building. In a school environment where getting students’ attention is half the battle, Kanga figured out the cheat code.
Kangaroos are not native to Texas — or anywhere outside Australia and New Guinea, for that matter. Killeen High School has been proudly defying that geographical reality since the school’s founding, and Kanga shows no signs of hopping back anytime soon.
