Young Adults Committee Spotlight: Aidan Marshall-Cort – Finding Confidence, Community, and a Calling

For Aidan Marshall-Cort, finding the NSA in 2021 was a transformation.

It all started with a moment of inspiration. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and craving connection, Aidan attended a talk at the University of Maryland led by NBA player and fellow person who stutters, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Seeing someone so open about their stutter—and someone who looked and sounded like him—sparked something inside.

“It was one of my largest life-changing experiences. It made me realize that I needed this community in my life.”

Aidan Googled the NSA, found the Washington, DC, Chapter, and the rest is history. Since then, he’s become a key leader in both the Young Adults Committee and his local chapter, creating spaces where 20- and 30-somethings can explore careers, dating, communication, and connection.

He shares that the NSA has given him more than a community—it’s provided mentors, friends, and the confidence to step into leadership. In 2024, he and his co-chair, Tim Flynn, were honored with the Chapter Leader/Chapter of the Year award, celebrating the incredible growth of the DC Chapter under their guidance.

“Since I've joined and become a leader in the area, it's been wonderful seeing it grow and develop into one of the big hubs for the stuttering community in the U.S.”

Outside of his NSA work, Aidan is a student at the University of Maryland, College Park, with plans to apply to Ph.D. programs in neuroscience. He’s as passionate about the brain as he is about stuttering advocacy.

His heartfelt advice to newcomers:
“In a world where we may feel everlasting anxiousness and/or self-consciousness, the NSA provides space and community where you can be your authentic self, void of the aforementioned.  A space where you can be understood, seen, and always supported. Take advantage of that - connect, be outside your comfort zone, meet people from all around the world, and find the true joy and spontaneity of communication we seek so often.”

Get to know Aidan:

Favorite ice cream: Brownie Batter

Nature preference: Mountains

Favorite rewatch: Mad Men

Current jam: Emergence by Sleep Token

Dream pet: German Shepherd

Fun fact: He’s a cinephile who adores films from the 1920s–60s

Dream destination: Santorini, Greek Islands

Aidan is proof that leadership starts with vulnerability and grows through connection. His journey inspires young adults to navigate life, speech, and self-expression—and do it with pride.

Thank you, Aidan!