Tiger Tapestry: Weaving Culture, Community, and Connection at the Ogden Honors College

When Honors College students Noor Akram and Anosha Rana met in Kenny Smith’s HNRS seminar How Religions Can Change the World, they probably didn’t expect that one semester later they would launch a movement that would give voice to international, first-generation students at LSU. Rana, a double major in Accounting and Information Systems & Analytics with a concentration in digital services and consulting, and Akram, a psychology major on the pre-med track with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience and minors in Arabic studies and biological sciences, quickly discovered they shared both a personal connection and a passion for community-building. And that’s exactly what Tiger Tapestry has become: a space for stories, identity, and shared experience.

Rooted in the Classroom, Grown from Experience

“Our inspiration came from the fact that Noor and I actually grew up playing together,” said Rana. “When we were kids, we’d go to each other’s houses all the time. Then she moved away, and we lost touch for almost ten years. We ended up in the same honors class without realizing it until we finally got the courage to ask, ‘Wait, are you Noor? Are you Anosha?’ That moment really made me think about how important it is to make connections.” 

“LSU is a big place,” Akram added. “And it’s easy to feel lost, especially if you’re part of a community that isn’t always reflected in mainstream campus life. We realized how meaningful it would be to create a platform where students with international roots or first-generation backgrounds could share their identities and experiences and relate to us, who also share those identities.”

"I remember for me, one of the first people I reached out to was a classmate from high school, someone I had never actually spoken to before, and that ended up being one of my favorite interviews. She’s from India, which is a neighboring country to where Anosha and I are from. During the interview, she mentioned a sweet she loved, and I suddenly realized it was the exact same one I’ve always loved too. I didn’t recognize it at first because she called it by a different name,” Akram recalled. “I realized how many missed opportunities we had back in high school to connect over our shared experiences.”

The pair also used a form to gather feedback and reflections from participants. Something they heard over and over again was, ‘No one’s ever asked me these kinds of questions before.’ They found a lot of students hadn’t really taken the time to reflect on their cultural identity because they’re just so busy with classes and college life. But through the project, people started sharing stories about festivals, family memories, and moments with cousins, whether back home or here in the U.S. as first-generation students.

Stories that Stitch Us Together

Rana emphasized the emotional core of the project. “Tiger Tapestry is about visibility,” she explained. “It’s for students who might not always get to say, ‘This is who I am, where I’m from, and what I bring to this university.’”

The format is simple but powerful: student spotlights on social media, often paired with photos and quotes. But the impact? Lasting. “It’s just nice to know someone is seeing you,” Akram said. “That your culture, your family, your traditions, they matter.” 

The Honors College Difference  

Both credit the Ogden Honors College for creating the space and support to dream big.

“Honors gave us the freedom to explore what mattered to us,” said Akram. “This wasn’t just a class. It was a chance to make something real.”

“At first, we were just signing up for what we thought was a religion class. I didn’t realize there would be a social change component or that we’d be expected to create something that involved engaging with people outside of class,” said Rana. “But that unexpected element ended up being really transformative for the class.” 

“ It was inspiring to be in a space where collaboration was built into the process. You don’t really get that kind of experience in a regular class, especially not in a big lecture hall. Even in seminar classes, it’s rare to have access to those kinds of resources and that level of personalized support...Honestly, the whole project felt possible because of the environment the Honors College created. ”

A lot of students received funding or resources directly from the Honors College to support their projects, and the overall environment was incredibly encouraging. Each week, the students would come together, share ideas, and give each other feedback. “It was inspiring to be in a space where collaboration was built into the process. You don’t really get that kind of experience in a regular class, especially not in a big lecture hall. Even in seminar classes, it’s rare to have access to those kinds of resources and that level of personalized support. Professor Kenny was always willing to reach out and see how he or the Honors College could help us take our ideas further. Honestly, the whole project felt possible because of the environment the Honors College created,” noted Rana.

Lessons That Last

“For me, going into pre-med, I’ve always loved the idea of combining medicine with experiences outside the clinical setting in ways that can really help people,” said Akram. “Working in a clinic now, I often think back to this project. It helped me develop skills in empathy and communication, which are essential in healthcare. Conducting interviews, speaking off the cuff, and connecting with people about deeply personal parts of their identity was all so new to me as a freshman. But it was also such a big step forward. I realized that if I could do that, I could probably grow even more in communication—and that’s critical in medicine. It’s also influenced my interest in research. I’m now working in a psychology lab focused on language, and this project helped me get comfortable with reaching out, navigating setbacks, and building connections.”

Rana added, “It was the same for me, even though I didn’t expect it. I’m doing an internship with a pension fund right now where I deal with older clients. A part of my work is reaching out when something on paper needs clarification. Having already explored diverse perspectives through the project, I think it’s helped me better understand others and communicate more effectively.  I’ve learned how to listen with empathy and adjust how I communicate depending on who I’m speaking with. The more people you reach out to, the more you learn to connect. It really broadens your perspective.”

Want to follow along?

Keep up with the project by following @tiger_tapestry on Instagram — and stay tuned for student stories that celebrate the many cultures and communities that make LSU shine.