A Pop Culture Approach:: Fandom and Mental Health

Ariana Hoet, PhD, executive clinical director of On Our Sleeves, is the driving force behind our mission of providing educational resources that break stigmas, increase mental health literacy, and support children’s mental health. Dr. Hoet believes all children and families should have a fair opportunity to be as healthy as possible. That enthusiasm extends into her desire for making sure that people of all backgrounds are accepted and celebrated – a passion born from her own experience as an immigrant to the U.S. from Venezuela. Her work in this arena led her to being recognized as a Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan by the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs for her work within the Spanish-speaking community. Dr. Hoet works in Pediatric Primary Care where she serves primarily Latino and Somali immigrant children. She is also a clinical assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University, with a role in training the next generation of behavioral health professionals who will tackle the emerging mental health crisis in children. Dr. Hoet has become a go-to national expert for outlets including USA Today, CNN, Good Morning America, and Newsweek because she is a vital public voice for youth mental health, and also because she has made an impact on countless young lives in her clinical practice. The work of On Our Sleeves and Dr. Hoet helped draw U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy to Nationwide Children’s in October of 2022 to discuss the country’s growing pediatric mental health crisis. In panel discussions before central Ohio business executives at Nationwide Children’s, and with hundreds of college students at Otterbein University, Dr. Hoet and Dr. Murthy spoke passionately about addressing often-misunderstood mental health challenges. Dr. Hoet is the proud mom of a toddler and enjoys family time, dancing, and Ohio State football. She is also involved in Latino community events, both personally and professionally. Dr. Hoet is the co-founder and vice president of Parenting Culture, a national non-profit for culturally responsive and inclusive parenting resources and a board member of Proyecto Mariposas, the Columbus non-profit serving Latina mothers and daughters. She received her bachelor of science in psychology from The Ohio State University and a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She completed her residency at The University of Colorado School of Medicine and a post-doctoral fellowship at Akron Children’s Hospital.

Ashley Eckstein has been widely recognized and honored as an actress, entrepreneur, author, designer and influencer. Most known for originating the character Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars, she voices Ahsoka in projects such as Star Wars The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Rise of Skywalker and Star Wars Tales of the Jedi. Ashley founded Her Universe in 2010 – the groundbreaking fangirl fashion and lifestyle brand and Eckstein continues her design work with shopDisney and Disney Parks worldwide. She’s also an author and her lifestyle book, Star Wars Everyday is out now. Ashley is an accomplished actress and producer with numerous film and television credits to her resume. She is also an in-demand host and inspirational speaker for major studios, networks and Fortune 500 companies. Ashley is best known as a trailblazer with a powerful voice in the fandom community. She uses her voice as a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and she is a champion for the On Our Sleeves movement for children’s mental health.. Ashley’s newest project, Star Wars Mindful Matters, is a series of short videos dedicated to the mindful lessons of Star Wars.