The first HHEF Girls’ Steam event was held on Sept. 24 with Anita Castellar, a certified “fangirl” for the Star Wars franchise. Castellar was a product developer for Disney Theme Parks. One of Castellar’s most memorable achievements was the “Build Your Own Lightsaber.” She worked her way up in the toy industry, working as the global brand manager at Hasbro, not only developing her franchise but also becoming the CEO of her own company, Fangirl Consulting and Brand Management. 

During her presentation, Castellar talked about her life leading up to where she is now, explaining that it wasn’t always a straight path. One of her original career paths was to become an astronaut. She had her mindset on this goal and was confident that this was where her life was going to go.

Castellar found out that she was unable to become an astronaut because she wears glasses. At first, she felt lost but soon realized that this was only a reason to keep going and explore new career paths.

Castellar also talked about the struggle to hold back on her “fangirling” interests, such as watching TV shows like Star Trek and playing with Godzilla action figures, trying to fit the mold of a normal girl.

She said, “There were moments when I would try to dial it back, I wouldn’t be full-on me all the time. I was less of me to feel like I fit in.” However, as she grew up, she learned to be strong and proud of what she liked. Eventually, Castellar was able to find her path and achieve what she dreamed of doing.