The Technical College of the Lowcountry has its first-ever mascot! Meet King Tide
St. Patrick’s Day was a lucky day for many this year, but it was especially exciting for the Technical College of the Lowcountry as they officially welcomed their first-ever mascot, King Tide, on Monday.
TCL’s journey to selecting a mascot began in August 2023, when the college announced “Tides” as the official choice, after a public vote narrowed down the finalists, which included jumbo shrimp, loggerheads and tomatoes as other potential names.
Now, the long wait is over and students, faculty and staff can meet him in person.
Though TCL does not have sports teams, King Tide will be a symbol of unity and pride across its four campuses, including the culinary school and the soon-to-open workforce training center.
The mascot’s presence on merchandise and marketing materials began shortly after the final vote back in 2023, but now that he’s finally here in person, students can expect to see King Tide bringing energy and enthusiasm to campus events.
The college hasn’t had a mascot since it was formed as the Mather School in 1868 for the daughters of freed enslaved people.
The school later became a trade school under the state of South Carolina in 1968, eventually evolving into one of the state’s 16 technical colleges.
As a part of embracing and highlighting school spirit, the TCL has given King Tide character traits including a favorite food, shrimp and grits; a favorite movie, “Prince Of Tides;” a loggerhead turtle best friend and even a backstory so Lowcountry residents of all ages can connect with him.
For more information on King Tide’s backstory, you can watch this video or visit the TCL mascot page to learn more about him.
This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
