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Learn how Liz Helton,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Lead Teacher Liz Helton Cold Spring, KY Lead Teacher Learning Grove Briefly describe your daily job duties. Working with 2.5-6 year olds in a classroom setting. Preparing and performing lessons with the children. Talking and mentoring coworkers. Yearly conferences with parents, as well as daily check-ins. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. When I first started teaching I had the fear that once people heard my stuttering they would think I wasn’t capable of teaching their child. What are your long-term career aspirations? Maintaining my position in the agency! Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? I didn’t mention it during the hiring process, and I don’t mention it to coworkers or parents. I have had to explain it to children, “I was born this way and it doesn’t hurt. Thanks for being patient with me, because my mouth has to finish the word”. That’s usually all it takes. What is your proudest moment at your current company? We received a regional award for being the top preschool for the year. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. I am more patient with people and understand of their difficulties What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Prove everyone wrong! You can succeed and grow in your career.

< Back Abhishek Agarwal Speaker Abhishek is a PWS and the co-chapter leader of the NSA Seattle Adult chapter. He works as a Senior Cloud Security Engineer and through his own stuttering journey, he has learnt how to advertise and advocate for yourself in the workplace. Previous Next

Learn how Joe McEvoy,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Chief Strategy Officer Joe McEvoy Briefly describe your daily job duties. As CSO I lead all of my organization’s work in implementing our strategic plan. This includes developing new programs and partnerships in response to needs in the community, building strategic partnerships with other providers and funding organizations, advocating for change at the local and state level, and identifying internal improvements that ensure we can best use our resources. I also lead all of the agency’s fundraising and communication efforts – so every day is really very different. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. I think, like most people who stutter, speaking to large groups can be a challenge. I have the added challenge of having an accent (I’m Irish) which can sometimes make me feel like it’s harder for people to understand me. It’s definitely something I want to work on and become more comfortable with, as I’d like to be able to do more of it. I am lucky to able to rely on a great team who have many different skills, which allows me to work to my strengths, like being a much better communicator with smaller groups and at building personal relationships. Other than that, many people who stutter will recognize how tired you can get after a long day of talking – sometimes I get home and just need to not talk for a while in the evening! What are your long-term career aspirations? I love working in the community non-profit space, and particularly in anti-poverty work. While I imagine one day I would like to be the CEO of a non-profit, for right now, I love what I do. I honestly feel like I have my dream job and I want to continue to do all I can to help meet the needs of folks in our community who may be struggling. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? Yes, I did – in those kind of situations it makes everyone feel much more comfortable, and I feel like by naming it, you lessen the stress and it’s impact on your interaction. The first time I stuttered in the interview, I took a moment to explain that I had a stutter. My boss has been very supportive from the moment I mentioned it, and it has never had any negative impacts on my work. I don’t always disclose, but I will in the right circumstances – I talk very openly about it with coworkers and folks in the community. I hosted a screening of “My Beautiful Stutter” for my coworkers and invited some donors and community partners, and I regularly share information on Stuttering Awareness Day. What is your proudest moment at your current company? I’m really proud of all the work my agency does to serve the community – every day we change people’s lives for the better and offer hope in times of crisis. What I am most proud of is how our entire team went above and beyond, working so hard, and being so innovative and imaginative about how we were able to help those in need when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. It might be counterintuitive but I think that stuttering helps in a number of ways. It often evokes openness and engagement with people that might be surprising to someone who does not stutter. By sharing that you stutter, and being comfortable with stuttering, you are showing a vulnerability that many people respond to. I feel like I am much better able to build relationships with individuals. I also feel like stuttering has helped me become a much better communicator – I love writing (there is no stuttering in writing!) and the tactic of replacing trickier words or sounds has given me a great vocabulary that definitely comes in handy! What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? I don’t know about advice, but I really feel like being open and even a little bit vulnerable is our superpower! While it might feel stressful to put yourself out there, I can honestly say that I have never ever received any negative response when disclosing. Stuttering gives us a unique perspective, we value personal interactions and communication in a different way – in the workplace this can really set you apart and can help you build incredible relationships!

Join the Dallas/Richardson - Kids stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Dallas/Richardson Kids KIDS CHAPTER HYBRID MEETINGS CENTRAL SOUTH REGION Official NSA Chapter - Texas State Welcome to the NSA Dallas/Richardson Kids Chapter! The National Stuttering Association’s® motto: If You Stutter, You’re Not Alone®, is what our NSA Chapters are all about! Chapter meetings are open to people who stutter, family members of people who stutter, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and anyone that wants to learn more about stuttering. Feel free to reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) to find out more about our chapter. We hope you will join us! How do you typically meet? Hybrid Meetings What age group can attend? Kids What languages are spoken? English How much does it cost? Free! Meetings Here is information on the location and schedule of our meetings. Reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) for more information! Where? Richardson, Texas, 75080 When? Monthly meetings alternate between virtual and in-person social events. Virtual meetings are typically held on the last Wednesday of each month at 7:00-8:30PM. Social events take place quarterly. For details about meetings/events and for any other information, please contact the Chapter Leaders. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Tabitha South, Linh Tran, Sam Fisk & Abby Carroll Chapter Leaders Get in touch! nsakidsrichardson@gmail.com (281) 235-3101 https://nsakidsdr.wixsite.com/dallasrichardson/chapter-leaders Questions? We know that attending your first NSA Chapter meeting might be a little intimidating so we’ve tried to answer some of your questions! We know once you get there, you’ll be greeted by Chapter Leaders who have been in your shoes before and are happy to welcome you! ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. Testimonials Read more about the power of chapters and support groups from NSA members themselves! "When I attended my first conference in 2019. I was welcomed into this "stamily" with open arms and haven't left the bear hug since!" Lexi Hewitt Exton, PA Chapter "Other people who stutter are the best sources of support, love, and encouragement on your journey. Don't be afraid to reach out, no matter what stage you're at." Gina Waggott Author, Entrepreneur "This community has helped me rediscover myself as a confident and capable person who stutters." John Ontiveros Lorem, CA Chapter

< Back Stacey Dedering Speaker Stacey is a Person who Stutters and is a newer member of the NSA, about 2 years. She's a single mom of 19 year old twins and a cat named Eskie living in San Jose, California. She is an Human Resources professional by trade. She attended her first NSA conference last summer and it made a tremendous impact on her life. Previous Next

Learn how Samuel Dunsiger ,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Accessibility Advisor Samuel Dunsiger Toronto, CAN Accessibility Advisor Left Turn Right Turn Briefly describe your daily job duties. Overall, my job involves working with the team at Left Turn Right Turn and our clients (public and private sector organizations) to make our clients’ practices more accessible for people with various disabilities. I do this by: – Conducting research on the organization to identify existing barriers for people with disabilities – Interviewing the organization’s employees and stakeholders who have disabilities – Writing accessibility assessment reports – Developing solutions to mitigate accessibility barriers – Writing accessibility plans Also, on a part-time basis, I teach writing and communications to students at a career college. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. Before I get into the most challenging part, I first want to emphasize that I feel like my job and workplace as it relates to my stuttering is somewhat unique. Because I work in the accessibility space, I work in a space where my stuttering is not just tolerated but it’s also valued. I actually use my lived experience with disability in my work as an accessibility consultant. But there are still and challenges and barriers that I face as a result of my stuttering. But I feel like the challenges I currently face are self-imposed. Allow me to explain. As we know, people who stutter are constantly interrupted by other people. But as NSA member and the famous comedian who stutters Nina G., has said before, we often have a tendency to interrupt ourselves. We interrupt our dreams, our ambitions and our lives by avoidance. In my case, I have a tendency to limit my own voice at work due to my stuttering. That is something I’m trying to actively work on, since we all have value to bring to the workplace. What are your long-term career aspirations? My long-term career aspirations are to continue working in the fields of accessibility, education and social justice, where I’m collaborating with passionate individuals to help make the world more inclusive for people with various disabilities. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? Because my current workplace, Left Turn Right Turn, is an accessibility consulting firm, not only did I disclose my stuttering in the job hiring process, but I used it to my advantage to leverage on my lived experience as someone with a disability. I emphasized early on in the interview my experience as someone who stutters, both personally and professionally, and the insight it brings me into working in the field of accessibility. What is your proudest moment at your current company? I’ve been in my current role at Left Turn Right Turn for just over four months, so I still consider myself somewhat new. I wouldn’t say that I have one single proudest moment, but what I’m most proud of so far is whenever I’m open with my teammates about how I’m feeling, not just about my stuttering but about my other struggles as well. I feel like my colleagues are extremely supportive and are open with each other, often to the point where we share our vulnerabilities and I’m proud to be part of that. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. Again, given my current role in the accessibility space, my experiences being someone who stutters (and being neurodivergent) gives me direct insight that allows me to better consult with organizations on accessibility. But in general, I feel like stuttering can be an advantage for anyone in the workplace. Yes, stuttering is a recognized disability, but that does not mean that it’s a weakness (disability is not a weakness!). I perceive disability to be a different way in which we experience the world. It gives us a fresh perspective which we would valuable for any employer. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? My best advice is to try to position your stuttering to your advantage during the job hiring and the recruitment process. Too often we perceive stuttering as something that holds us back from being successful, but it does not have to be. Stuttering gives us greater empathy, resilience and a uniqueness which would be valuable for any employer.

< Back Hayley Stuckey Speaker Hayley is a freshman and Brigham Young University and is studying business. She is part of the Teen Advisory Council and is President of Sisters Who Stutter. Hayley planned a successful stuttering awareness tennis tournament and was awarded the 2024 NSA Youth Advocate of the Year Award. The NSA Conference is always the highlight of her year, Denver will be her third conference. Hayley is looking forward to reconnecting with friends and meeting new ones. Previous Next

Learn how Leigh Gaston,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Assistant Editor Leigh Gaston Los Angeles, CA Assistant Editor Paramount Pictures Briefly describe your daily job duties. I am currently working on a new production of The Spiderwick Chronicles that will be airing on Disney+. I handle and organize all the dailies from production. I am responsible for the sound design of the episode and I also cut scenes. Once each episode is locked, I prep everything so it can be finished and ready for air. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. Communication between departments and staff is very important. I work closely with the Director, Showrunner, and other Executive Producers. Being able to express artistic concepts and execute them requires me to talk often and maintain professionalism. What are your long-term career aspirations? I am working towards becoming an Editor full time and my ultimate goal is to Direct. When I was younger and stuttered so much, I never thought I would actually get this close to directing and it seemed foolish to even think about holding a position of such authority where you had to talk so much. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? I have not talked to anyone here about my stuttering. Usually in my life, if the subject ever comes up I don’t shy away from being open about it. I just haven’t felt the need to explain myself yet and I just go with the flow of my speech, whatever it may be on that given day. Everyone has unique aspects about themselves that I don’t believe need to be explained before you get to know them on a personal level. What is your proudest moment at your current company? This is the first show I have worked on within my favorite genre (Science Fiction/Fantasy), and when the team is receptive to my creativity that gives me great happiness! Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. The experience I have had with stuttering over the course of my life has made me very resilient, and that resilience helps when the workload is heavy and the workday goes long. I think stuttering also makes me very empathetic, which helps in this line of work. Being able to imagine what will make the audience feel a certain way is very important. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? It may seem impossible to imagine sometimes, but if you pursue your passions and take it one day at a time there’s no reason you can’t achieve your goals in life and in your career. I didn’t know how I would even get to where I am today but I trusted that if I worked hard, stayed patient, and remained positive that things would most likely unfold in the way they I hoped. Be brave!

Learn how Marcus Peters,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Senior Business Analyst Marcus Peters Briefly describe your daily job duties. I work as a Senior Business Analyst for Conifer Health Solutions. My job involves helping implement, modify, and monitor software that hospitals use to manager patient healthcare data and health insurance data. This software manages healthcare data from the point that a patient schedules a hospital visit until the point when the hospital receives a full payment for the patient’s healthcare service. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. Every week I lead and attend conference calls in order to discuss projects and issues. When these conference calls have large groups of about 30 people, the fear of stuttering impacts the way I communicate. Instead of communicating in a way that allows me to openly stutter, I communicate in a way that avoids stuttering. I’m currently attending speech therapy so that I can better succeed in challenging situations, such as these. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? If so, how did you do it and how do you currently disclose your stuttering to co-workers? During the job interview process, I believe that I self-disclosed myself as a person who stutters. Generally, when I interview for a job, I say: “I am a person who stutters, so if you hear any delays or repetitions then I would truly appreciate your patience.” Also, I have had one-on-one meetings with many members on my team in order to let them know that I am a person who stutters, and if they hear me stuttering then they should be patient with me, keep eye contact, and not fill in my words. Doing this has allowed me to feel more comfortable as I communicate with them, and it has helped them understand how to support me as a person who stutters. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. As a person who stutters, I often ask others to be patient with me and listen carefully to me. As a result, I have learned how to be patient with others and clearly listen to them. This has helped me improve the way I communicate with others and support others on my team. What is your proudest moment at your current company? My proudest moments at my current company have been when I’ve made a difference in the lives of others. Last year, I had several opportunities to share my skills and knowledge with a newer team member so that they could successfully complete several tasks. As I did that, I learned work is most rewarding for me when I am able to help others succeed. What are your long-term career aspirations? Currently, I am working towards a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification so that I can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to lead, manage, and direct business projects and business project teams. Work is most rewarding for me when I am able to help others succeed, so I aspire to be a Project Manager that can help others succeed and help improve the way businesses perform their work. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? My advice for people who stutter is to self-disclose early on and self-disclose often. People generally want you to succeed, but because many people do not have a good understanding of stuttering — it is up to you to tell them how they can support you as a person who stutters. When you self-disclose, you make yourself more comfortable in your work environment. When you self-disclose, you help others understand what stuttering is, so that they can support you and so that they can support future employees who stutter. For people who stutter that want to achieve greater success, my advice is to be confident. Great leaders display confidence in the way they communicate, in the way they take risks, in the way they make decisions, and in the way they persevere through difficult times. Being confident will truly help you succeed in your career.

Join the Milwaukee - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Milwaukee ADULT CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS CENTRAL NORTH REGION Official NSA Chapter - Wisconsin State Welcome to the NSA Milwaukee Adult Chapter! The National Stuttering Association’s® motto: If You Stutter, You’re Not Alone®, is what our NSA Chapters are all about! Chapter meetings are open to people who stutter, family members of people who stutter, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and anyone that wants to learn more about stuttering. Feel free to reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) to find out more about our chapter. We hope you will join us! How do you typically meet? In-Person Meetings What age group can attend? Adult What languages are spoken? English How much does it cost? Free! Meetings Here is information on the location and schedule of our meetings. Reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) for more information! Where? Wauwatosa Public Library – Meeting Room A – 7635 W North Ave, Wauwatosa, WI 53213 When? Meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 6:45 pm - 7:45 pm. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Lindsey Burant Chapter Leader Get in touch! lindseyburant@gmail.com (262) 455-1876 - Questions? We know that attending your first NSA Chapter meeting might be a little intimidating so we’ve tried to answer some of your questions! We know once you get there, you’ll be greeted by Chapter Leaders who have been in your shoes before and are happy to welcome you! ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. Testimonials Read more about the power of chapters and support groups from NSA members themselves! "When I attended my first conference in 2019. I was welcomed into this "stamily" with open arms and haven't left the bear hug since!" Lexi Hewitt Exton, PA Chapter "Other people who stutter are the best sources of support, love, and encouragement on your journey. Don't be afraid to reach out, no matter what stage you're at." Gina Waggott Author, Entrepreneur "This community has helped me rediscover myself as a confident and capable person who stutters." John Ontiveros Lorem, CA Chapter

Meet Michael Liben, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Michael Liben Legal Counsel Michael Liben is a prosecutor in New York City. He currently serves as a Deputy Bureau Chief in the Domestic Violence Bureau of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. Michael, and his family, have been involved in the NSA for over twenty years. He has previously served as the NSA’s Youth Chair and as a member of the NSA’s Research Committee. Michael resides in New York with his wife and daughter.

Learn how Anthony Davis,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Credit Union Bank Teller Anthony Davis Briefly describe your daily job duties. I handle members money and help sure that all Ascent Credit Union members are satisfied. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. The most challenging part of my job is communicating with my coworkers and members. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? Yes, I did. I let them know that I stuttered before I started the interview. When it comes to my coworkers just let them ask me. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. I believe my stutter helps me better relate to members that have a stutter or something similar. What is your proudest moment at your current company? One moment that comes to mind was helping a member fix a fraud on their account. What are your long-term career aspirations? I want to eventually go back to school and become a teacher. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Don’t let your stutter hold you back. If anything, stuttering makes you more of a valuable worker. You are unique and special. Believe it!