{"id":34879,"date":"2025-09-24T10:16:32","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T14:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=34879"},"modified":"2025-09-24T10:16:33","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T14:16:33","slug":"sociology-doctoral-student-empowers-mental-health-awareness-at-comic-con-panel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/sociology-doctoral-student-empowers-mental-health-awareness-at-comic-con-panel\/","title":{"rendered":"Sociology Doctoral Student Empowers Mental Health Awareness at Comic-Con Panel\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jaylen Christie combines comic books, sociology, and mental health education in presentation at popular convention in San Diego, California.\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Written by: Sultana Ali | Published: September 24, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Jaylen Christie and Associate Professor of Sociology Dr. Alison Cares pose for a photo at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.<\/em>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is the connection between comics and mental health? For UCF doctoral student Jaylen Christie, the relationship came naturally. A longtime fan of comic book hero, The Flash, Christie was naturally drawn to themes in popular culture while pursuing his PhD in sociology at UCF\u2019s College of Sciences.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a kid, you may notice that many superheroes have a traumatic experience\u2014such as the death of a family member, a tragic accident, or another difficult event,\u201d says Christie. \u201cI see the possibility of mental health education in those examples. If someone has experienced trauma and looks to superheroes and comic book culture, it could potentially provide an ideal space for discussion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christie served as a panelist at this year\u2019s San Diego Comic-Con as part of a discussion entitled, \u201cGeekEd: Mr. Stark, I Don\u2019t Feel So Good.\u201d The conversation\u2014moderated by Dr.\u202fAlfred Day, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Support and Belonging at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley)\u2014focused on how trauma-informed practices, shaped by comic book storytelling, can help higher education professionals better support students navigating challenges in their lives and academic journeys. Additional panelists included Dr. Alison Cares, Associate Professor of Sociology at UCF; Emilie Mitchell, a Counseling Intern at UC Berkeley; and Sabrina Van Zuiden, with the Counseling and Social Services\u202fdepartment at <\/strong>University Health Services at UC Berkeley.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christie\u2019s presentation was hosted by the GeekEd. Collective, a group which helps students combat loneliness through \u201cgeek-themed programming\u201d\u2014which blends pop culture with academic on university campuses. He credits Cares with the presentation opportunity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDr. Cares has a wonderful relationship with the GeekEd. Collective through her past work with them as well as her selection for the panel conversation,\u201d says Christie. \u201cAfter sharing my interests in comic book superheroes, she opened the door for me to Comic-Con. I was able to connect with the group that oversees the work, including Dr. Alfred Day, one of the GeekEd. Collective founders, and I was warmly welcomed to join.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

San Diego Comic-Con is a popular convention held annually, showcasing comics, art, television, gaming, and interactive multimedia. While many of the events and panels focus on cosplay and popular culture, the panelists spoke to important themes of mental health affecting many young people today. It is a topic that is inspiring Christie\u2019s studies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSociology is the study of human behavior, and I think most sociologists want to better the world or help in some way,\u201d says Christie. \u201cBy studying sociology, we can create solutions to help those in need. Our panel focused on why it\u2019s important to discuss trauma and how it\u2019s a crucial part of the healing process, helping others to feel less isolated.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Jaylen Christie\u2019s characters in comic book “Stink Bomb Man and the Brain Kids,” intersect with sociology concepts.\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Christie has a deeply personal experience with comic books, growing up with a large comic book collection and a regular TV diet of \u201cMighty Morphin Power Rangers\u201d and \u201cBatman.\u201d He\u2019s also a comic book author and illustrator. Christie published the first in a series of six comic books entitled \u201cStink Bomb Man and the Brain Kids,\u201d which touches on sociology and community themes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christie is already a UCF alumnus with his master\u2019s degree in communication from the Nicholson School of Communication and Media, with a successful career in public relations and journalism. He shares that UCF prepared him well for this panel opportunity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf it wasn\u2019t for UCF, I wouldn\u2019t have been at Comic-Con or in this PhD program\u2014it\u2019s the reason I was there this summer,\u201d says Christie. \u201cI have learned a lot through my studies in both communication and sociology, and I\u2019m applying those concepts. I\u2019m truly grateful to Dr. Cares. She is awe-inspiring in terms of her knowledge and what she has accomplished.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christie encourages fellow students to get to know their professors and to share their goals, as he did with Cares, and hopes to attend Comic-Con next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComic-Con was mind-blowing; I was with my people,\u201d says Christie.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jaylen Christie combines comic books, sociology, and mental health education in presentation at popular convention in San Diego, California.\u00a0 Written by: Sultana Ali | Published: September 24, 2025 What is the connection between comics and mental health? For UCF doctoral student Jaylen Christie, the relationship came naturally. A longtime fan of comic book hero, The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":250,"featured_media":34880,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[38,6488,40,13,6492],"tags":[736,6438,3117],"class_list":["post-34879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-featured-sociology","category-graduate-student-news","category-news","category-sociology-department","tag-college-of-sciences","tag-graduate-student","tag-sociology-2"],"yoast_head":"\nSociology Doctoral Student Empowers Mental Health Awareness at Comic-Con Panel\u00a0 - College of Sciences News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/sociology-doctoral-student-empowers-mental-health-awareness-at-comic-con-panel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sociology Doctoral Student Empowers Mental Health Awareness at Comic-Con Panel\u00a0 - College of Sciences News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Jaylen Christie combines comic books, sociology, and mental health education in presentation at popular convention in San Diego, California.\u00a0 Written by: Sultana Ali | Published: September 24, 2025 What is the connection between comics and mental health? 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