Hi – I’m Lillian Skye! I’ve been a Star Wars fan since before I could hold a lightsaber. My dad first showed me the Original Trilogy in 1998 when I was nearly two years old. He gave me a little stuffed R2-D2 that I called “E-Do” because I couldn’t pronounce the droid’s name, and I still keep that R2-D2 in my room. We also had a life-size Yoda that I absolutely loved when I was a little girl.

As I got older, I watched more and more of the movies and when I was in elementary school I started playing a few of the Star Wars video games. We had one that had Shaak Ti as a playable character, and I remember thinking how great it was that I could play as a female Jedi for the first time. I thought that it was especially neat that her “special move” was a cartwheel that she would use in combat.
When I was in 5th grade, a boy told me that the only reason I liked “geeky” things was because I thought the guys in the movies and the comics were “cute.” That comment really upset me and had me questioning whether or not Star Wars really was “just for boys.” However, I never compromised my love of Star Wars to gain popularity with the girls in school. I realized that just because you are teased for something you are passionate about does not mean that you sacrifice who you are and what you believe in just for someone else’s approval. It only means that you need to stay true to yourself and be confident in the person you are. Be the girl who is a little different – the girl who isn’t afraid to be herself. Now that there are characters like Ahsoka Tano, Jaina Solo, and so many other strong women in the Star Wars universe, it has been amazing for women to step out and embrace their love of Star Wars more confidently than before.
I first met Ashley Eckstein at Disney’s Star Wars Weekends May 22, 2010 and was so happy to meet the voice of Ahsoka Tano for the first time! At the time, the Her Universe clothing line hadn’t been launched yet, so Ashley wrote “heruniverse.com” on the back of her autograph so I could find the site. When I looked up the website, the page had a picture of Ashley and Ahsoka with the words “coming soon” next to them. After the launch of Her Universe, I enjoyed reading Ashley’s blog posts, the comments from other fangirls like me, and the community that Her Universe was becoming. It has been amazing for me to see Her Universe grow from the beginning to what it has blossomed into now!
Last summer, I started my own blog called Fangirls in the Force. I love featuring articles about anything geek chic, the latest updates on the Clone Wars, and interviews with people who are influential in Star Wars. Through my website, I’ve been able to connect with girls who might not have known that there are other girls out there who share their love of sci-fi. Most recently, I had the opportunity to go to Celebration VI in August 2012, where I met (and of course, ‘fangirled’) with several of my friends, the Lakehouse Sisters, who I met through the Her Universe community and The Lakehouse Forums. I’m so blessed to have the friends I do today, who truly understand my love of Star Wars, my passion for writing, and who encourage the importance of being confident in who you are and what you love.
I’m so excited for Year of the Fangirl!!! I think this is a great way for girls of all ages to express their knowledge and passion for sci-fi !

Lillian Skye has been a Star Wars fan since before she could hold a lightsaber. Now a junior in high school, Lillian writes for a student run publication published weekly by the Tampa Bay Times and has her own blog for geek chic Star Wars fans called Fangirls in the Force.