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< 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!

Join the Bridge City - Family stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Bridge City FAMILY IN-PERSON MEETINGS CENTRAL SOUTH REGION Official NSA Chapter - Texas State Welcome to the NSA Bridge City Family 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 Meeting What age group can attend? Family 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? Hometown Therapy, PLLC 870 Center Street, Bridge City, TX 77611 When? Meetings are held once a month on Thursdays from 5:30-6:30PM. 2024 Meetings: October 24th, November 21st, and December 19th. 2025 meetings will be held on the last Thursday of the month. Please contact the Chapter Leader for more information. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Carlee Quinn Chapter Leader Get in touch! Carlee.Quinn@hometowntherapy.net (409) 781-2330 - 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

Join the Buffalo - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Buffalo ADULT CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS NORTHEAST REGION Official NSA Chapter - New York State Welcome to the NSA Buffalo 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? University at Buffalo Audiology & Speech Language Pathology Clinic 52 Biomedical Education Building Buffalo, NY 14215 *We meet at UB South Campus at UB Audiology & Speech Language Pathology Clinic Click this link to find our correct location on Google Maps: https://tinyurl.com/nsa-buffalo-location When? Every 3rd Monday of the month 6:00pm-7:30pm Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Michele Delo & Erin Wilson Chapter Leaders Get in touch! ShelliLynn1820@gmail.com (716) 829-5530 - 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

Join the Greenville - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Greenville ADULT CHAPTER HYBRID MEETINGS MID-ATLANTIC REGION Official NSA Chapter - South Carolina State Welcome to the NSA Greenville Chapter! The Greenville Chapter meets on the first Thursday of every month online over Zoom or in-person at A to Z Speech Therapy. Our meetings are social gatherings where we discuss issues related to living life as a person who stutters. Expect to gain new life perspectives on stuttering by seeing, hearing, and learning from others who stutter. Come join us at our next meeting. Scroll below to learn more. How do you typically meet? Hybrid 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? Online meetings are over Zoom (email the Chapter Leader for the link). In-person meetings are at A to Z Speech Therapy (1547 Wade Hampton Blvd. Greenville, SC 29609). When? First Thursday of every month. In-person meetings (6:30 to 8:00 pm). Online meetings (7:00 to 8:15 pm) Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? John Moore Chapter Leader Get in touch! john@brandautopsy.com (512) 633-4086 https://www.westutterupstate.com/ 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 WeStutter@Work Spotlight: Abishek Agarwal – Showing Up Authentically and Creating Change Abishek Agarwal remembers the moment he discovered the NSA. It was like finally finding home. As a person who stutters, he had spent years feeling isolated—longing to be part of something bigger, among people who truly understood what it meant to walk in his shoes. That moment of connection led him to attend his first NSA conference, which sealed the deal: he was all in. “The NSA has allowed me to connect with other people like me, giving me a sense of belonging and making me feel as part of something bigger than myself. NSA has re-enforced the idea that stuttering is truly okay and if you stutter, you have other people to lean on and ask for support.” Today, Abishek serves as both a co-leader of his local NSA chapter (for 2 years) and a passionate member of the WeStutter@Work Committee. He’s part of a team working to create a world where people who stutter have equal access to employment, leadership, and professional growth—all while educating employers and breaking stigma in the workplace. Outside of his advocacy work, Abishek is constantly challenging himself in new ways. From achieving fitness milestones, to learning his favorite songs on the violin, he’s committed to personal growth just as much as community growth. “The NSA has given me more confidence to show up as my authentic self and be more comfortable in my skin as a PWS.” This is his advice to new NSA members, “NSA is a very supportive and diverse community. Don't hesitate ever to reach out for support. People are very kind and will do their best to help. Also, there is so much to get involved in and help out in - so choose specific areas you are passionate about and start with them.” Get to know Abishek: Ice cream pick: Cookies n Cream Nature vibe: Mountains Favorite show: The Sopranos Karaoke jam: Succession Theme Song Plays the violin Dream pets: Otter and dogs Dream vacation: Scottish Highlands Abishek’s leadership is helping shift how stuttering is viewed in the workplace—and we are here for it. Thank you, Abishek! Previous Next

Join the Rockford - Family stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Rockford FAMILY CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS CENTRAL NORTH REGION Official NSA Chapter - Illinois State Welcome to the NSA Rockford Family 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? Family 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? Location may vary around the Rockford area. When? Monthly activity-based meet-ups happen around the Rockford area. Contact the Chapter leaders for information! Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Jessica & Trace Steinberg Chapter Leaders Get in touch! jesssteinberg@hotmail.com (815) 979-8604 - 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 Emily Root Speaker Emily is a speech pathologist and college professor in New Jersey and feels incredibly fortunate to work with people of all ages who stutter. She is proud to be the daughter of a person who stutters and is passionate about stuttering acceptance for all. Emily loves to travel, run, and attend 80's and 90's concerts . She also loves spending time with her husband, two adult children, rescue dog, and two cats. Previous Next