For senior architecture student Jodi Keelen, visiting Mike the Tiger goes beyond a campus norm — it is an experience that makes her day and has even inspired a small business.

“It’s like the ‘Mike effect,’” Keelen, 23, said. “When you see him in person, you’re like, ‘Wow, I love everything about life.’”

Art has always played a part in Keelen’s life, and it will continue to do so past graduation.

“[Architecture] is a really good way to express creativity with a more realistic basis,” Keelen said.

Being from Metairie, Louisiana, Keelen originally had her eyes set on going to college out of state. Committing to LSU wasn’t a particularly enthusing decision.

Since then, she’s found many things to love about the school. Among them is Mike the Tiger, the live Bengal who calls campus home.

With a sticker line made in his image, Keelen now holds Mike in even higher esteem.

“He’s my muse,” she said.

Keelen’s take on the mascot is quaint, with simple linework creating the cartoon figure. Mike’s sunglasses are a staple part of his look across a variety of dynamic poses, including him dabbing, going to the gym and climbing Memorial Tower King Kong-style.

Still, Keelen’s small business was never part of a larger plan.

“I have a habit of doodling in class,” Keelen said. “I just started sketching little photos of Mike.”

When a friend pointed out a sketch of the tiger with glasses, Keelen explained her inspiration simply.

“That’s Mike, but he’s got sunglasses on,” Keelen said. “He’s Cool Guy Mike.’”

At first, it was just a joke, but when friends encouraged her to turn the design into something more, the idea started to stick. As she continued developing the idea, Keelen realized her designs filled a gap in LSU’s merchandise, which she said can often feel mundane.

“They’re basic — and a lot of people like that — but it’s the same type of style over and over again,” Keelen said. “People want variety. What if you made something a little sketchy, with a little more fun?”

Before investing in supplies, Keelen wanted to see how students would respond to the stickers. To gauge interest, she consulted Yik Yak, an anonymous social media app popular among college students.

Her first post, with just a sketch of “Cool Guy Mike,” gained over 300 upvotes.

“It kind of blew up,” Keelen said. “That’s how people started finding me.”

As she developed other designs, she decided to stay authentic to campus life.

“What if it was just everyday stuff at LSU, but with Mike?” Keelen said.

Her second post featured designs like “Cheerleader Mike,” “Road Rage Mike” and “Scooter Mike,” with Yik Yak users quickly asking where they could buy them.

Keelen moved her updates to Instagram on March 2, giving potential clients a way to directly follow along with her business.

She has since made a handful of sales. Though she has launched an Etsy page, called StickerClubCentral, she finds her experience in Free Speech Alley to be more successful than online.

One student who browsed her first pop-up this past Monday even said that seeing the stickers has contributed to their sense of school spirit.

“Someone told me, ‘I’ve never felt so much pride for my school until now,’” Keelen said.

Looking ahead, Keelen hopes her designs might one day catch the attention of Mike’s social media managers.

“I want them to take a photo with [the sticker] because they can actually get up close,” Keelen said.

For now, Keelen is focused on her next sticker drop, where she plans on making Mikes that correspond with each of LSU’s senior colleges — with potential expansions into sorority and fraternity-themed Mikes.