Senior Spotlight: Hong Lin Tsai gets stuck on Rice

By Kristal Hanson     9/9/25 10:41pm

Hong Lin Tsai describes himself as a person who wears a lot of hats, both literally and figuratively. 

“Twenty-two, in fact,” said Tsai, a Brown College senior.  

The phrase has become something of a theme among those who know him best, like Jeffrey Youngson, Tsai’s suitemate and O-Week brother.

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“We joke that the rest of us have, like, one or two extracurriculars, and he just takes, like, 16 or something ridiculous like that,” said Youngson. “But he always makes it work.” 

Tsai is perhaps most well known for his original designs featuring Sammy the Owl, which appear on posters, stickers, shirts and water bottles across campus. 

Tsai found inspiration for his sticker business from his O-Week coordinator, Ashley Duong ’23, who also designed Sammy the Owl stickers at the time. Tsai followed her lead and made his own as a meme, he said, but friends encouraged him to start selling them.

“Almost 50 designs later and 11 sticker packs, I have an entire collection of them,” Tsai said.

Editor’s note: Tsai is the Thresher’s sports cartoonist.

Looking back, Tsai said he would not have predicted the paths his projects would take. 

“If you told my former self when I started as a freshman that I’d start my own sticker business, that I would start an entire cartoon section, I would not have believed you,” Tsai said.

In addition to his own sticker enterprise, Tsai has created merchandise for clubs like HACER and the Rice Hockey Club, contributed to Rice Rally Club as the executive vice president, collaborated with Rice Public Affairs on holiday videos and even created a Christmas card for President Reggie DesRoches. 

“Having students design my holiday card each year is such a special tradition,” wrote DesRoches in a message to the Thresher. “Their creativity gives the card a personal touch and reminds me how proud I am of our talented Owls.”

Duong said Tsai’s work through his many roles has touched nearly every corner of campus. 

“The art Hong Lin has made — everybody on campus has seen, whether they realize it or not,” Duong wrote in a message to the Thresher. “He has drawn for so many organizations across campus, I’ve lost count.” 

Tsai has also taken on leadership roles in numerous service organizations on campus, including the Rice Coalition on Hunger and Homelessness. At Brown, he serves as head caregiver and senior class representative. 

For Tsai, his involvement in so many activities is tied to his background as a first-generation, low-income student. 

“All of the positions I take on are my way of giving back to Rice, just like the people who helped me get here,” Tsai said. 

Tsai said taking leadership training through the Doerr Institute for New Leaders in his sophomore year gave him opportunities to grow and get out of his comfort zone. Tsai now serves as a Doerr ambassador for Brown and is the semester’s new host for Doerr’s Leading Owls podcast. 

“Don’t be afraid to ask around for opportunities and resources,” Tsai said. “If you like it, see what sticks and then go forward with that.”

Stephanie Taylor, the associate director of leader development at Doerr, praised Tsai’s energy and impact.

“Hong is endlessly positive and optimistic,” Taylor wrote in a message to the Thresher. “He always jumps in to make things happen. His can-do spirit and follow-through make him a role model for his peers.”

Taylor also pointed to the lasting presence of Tsai’s design work. 

“His designs are unforgettable, and they’ll live on through Doerr Institute shirts and stickers well beyond his time at Rice,” Taylor wrote.

Tsai described his time at Rice as a “roller coaster” with highs and lows. 

“Being a part of all these roles here is kind of like playing musical chairs, and being a senior is like being ready to get off the ride,” Tsai said.

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