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.

Meet Paula D’Arcangelo, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Paula D’Arcangelo Research Committee Associate Member Paula is a speech language pathologist who earned her Master of Science degree in Communicative Disorders from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She currently works in a school setting and at her private practice, where she finds great fulfillment in supporting and learning from people who stutter. In 2022, Paula first became active in the NSA as an ad hoc review committee member for the NSA Research Committee. She resides in Houston, Texas, with her husband, teenage children, and adoring poodle. During her free time, Paula enjoys being outdoors, attending concerts, cherishing moments with family and friends, and traveling to new destinations.

Meet Eldon Solomon, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Eldon Solomon Seasoned Voices Committee Eldon Solomon is 59, and a lifelong person who stutters. His passions center around his wife of 37 years, and their family of four boys, three daughter-in-law’s and three grandchildren. Living in Indiana, Eldon is a CEO of a national, nonprofit, Veteran outreach organization. He attended his first NSA Conference in 2023 and is eager to lend his experiences, personal accomplishments, and love for people to help older persons who stutter to find their voice.

Learn how Jeff Brown,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Postdoctoral Research Associate Jeff Brown Briefly describe your daily job duties. As a postdoctoral researcher in a neuroscience lab, I lead several experimental and computational projects aimed at better understanding how brain networks organize and tune themselves at the level of individual brain cells during the course of behavior. This sees me spending a good amount of time optically recording from live brains (those of sea slugs in my case!), while taking time to analyze data and write scientific code on my computer. The most rewarding part of my job involves mentoring graduate students, medical students, and undergraduates, however. Before starting my current position, I was honored to have taught and directed a clinical neuroscience course at a large medical school in Illinois for several years. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. Since being a scientist depends on presenting your work and sharing your knowledge others, I do a fair amount of public speaking in my position; that was the case at a whole other level when I was lecturing to an auditorium full of medical students in my previous position! Sometimes–and particularly if I’m having a dysfluent day–maintaining fluency while speaking can be exhausting, and that fatigue sometimes amplifies the existing dysfluency. No matter what, however, I commit to making sure that I’m always able to say what I need to. What are your long-term career aspirations? Although I’m currently in a research-intensive position, I hope to land a faculty position at a liberal arts college in the next several years, in which I expect to have a small research laboratory of my own but otherwise hope to be able to pour myself into teaching and mentoring, which, as you may have figured out by now, are my foremost passions. If I have the opportunity to author a few books in the process, all the better! Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? After many years of being terrified about self-disclosing, I have become accustomed to speaking openly about my stutter, including with my current employer and colleagues, though I’d be lying if I said I’m ever entirely comfortable doing it. Nonetheless, I find that the less dramatically you self-disclose (e.g., “Oh, by the way, I should mention that I have a stutter, and you might sometimes hear me pause on or prolong certain words.”), the less importance the people to whom you disclose assign to it. Sometimes, people will tell me that they had no idea I stuttered, while others had apparently already realized; some people will follow up with a series of questions or show support, while others barely acknowledge that I’ve mentioned it. Regardless of the response it elicits, self-disclosure is first and foremost for your benefit: that’s a lesson I continue to learn! What is your proudest moment at your current company? Several years ago, I had a medical student in my clinical neuroscience course who consistently performed towards the bottom of my class. Although very bright and industrious, he had a difficult time wrapping his head around the course material, much to his frustration and disappointment. At one point during the semester, I held a learning session on infections of the central nervous system; since this student had a Master’s degree in infectious diseases, I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity for him to shine and hopefully bolster his confidence. After consulting with the student before our learning session, I asked him to share his expertise on a specific topic of relevance during the course of a whole-class discussion: it was so incredibly rewarding to watch him light up as he spoke passionately and authoritatively about this topic. When he was finished, the entire class of 140 students gave him a round of applause. Those are truly the moments you live for as a teacher. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. I’d like to think that I’m a better listener and more compassionate person in general as a PWS; it literally gives me pause in my life! At the same time, my stutter and the journey I’ve taken in becoming more comfortable coexisting with it have impressed upon me how liberating it is to be able to speak your mind without hesitation, no matter what your level of fluency in the moment happens to be. While these influences inform my approach to interacting with people in my research, I think my experiences as a PWS has more profoundly shaped my philosophy as a teacher: I strive to go the extra mile in listening to my students and taking the time to understand their learning and personal needs on a one-by-one basis. I try to serve not only as a content expert, but also a source of mentorship, empathy, and general support. I’d also like to think that the degree to which I’m transparent about my stuttering humanizes me, inviting my students to confide in me in return. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Never doubt for a moment that you’re fully qualified to be where you are and doing what you’re doing! You have succeeded in spite of your stutter, and you’re a lot more–and have a lot more to say–than whatever words you may repeat, prolong, or block on. Never be ashamed that you stutter, or about anything else over which you lack control. Don’t hesitate to show some vulnerability by self-disclosing: not only can it be personally empowering, but it also stands to strengthen the relationships between you and those with whom you interact in your workplace. Above all, seek our help and mentorship when you need it: as a PWS, you are never alone!

Learn how James Hayden,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. HLA Technologist James Hayden Briefly describe your daily job duties. I work in the flow cytometry and DNA sections of Ochsner Health’s Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Lab. I assist with preliminary workups for those in need of an organ transplant, as well as, potential donors. In the flow section, I test to see if there is a reaction between the antigens of a potential donor versus the antigens of a potential recipient, in order to reduce organ rejection. I also test to see if there is a reaction between the patient’s antibodies vs the patient’s antigens, in order to identify auto immune disorders. In the DNA section, I isolate and test donor and recipient DNA to identify their HLA profiles. Other responsibilities include: testing for various diseases (ex. Celiac disease and psoriatic arthritis), quality control of instruments, as well as, reagents, and DNA typing of deceased donors. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. Talking on the phone is the most challenging part of my job. Nearly every day I’m on the phone with someone to see where a sample is, confirm a test that we need to run, report results, confirm donor information, and/or confirm patient information. For the most part, I talk to the same group of people about these issues. By this point, they all know I stutter and it’s a non-issue. However, if I am talking to someone new and I begin to stutter I will disclose that I am a PWS, after the stuttering moment ends. 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 unsuspecting co-workers? I disclosed indirectly. On my resume, I listed my book, Dear World, I Stutter, and various published articles, but my stutter did not come up during my interview. In the past two year and a half years, I’ve become more comfortable with disclosing my stutter. Whenever I meet a new co-worker, I disclose by saying, “You may have noticed that I stutter. All I ask is that you don’t finish my sentences and keep eye contact with me when I stutter. If you have any questions about stuttering, then don’t hesitate to ask me.” What is your proudest moment at your current company? Being selected to give a TED talk at Ochsner’s inaugural TEDx event is my proudest moment. Not only is it the proudest of my time at Ochsner, but it’s one of the proudest moments of my life. What are your long-term career aspirations? Although I like what I do, I want to transition to the corporate side of Ochsner. My ideal role would be in internal employee development. I would also like expand my writing and public speaking opportunities. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Disclose the fact that you are a person who stutters as soon as possible. Disclosing allows for the “awkwardness” of stuttering to instantly disappear. Also, don’t allow your stutter to hold you back from going for a project, promotion, or a new opportunity.

Learn how Catherine Moroney,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Scientific Software Engineer Catherine Moroney Briefly describe your daily job duties. I study clouds and their impact on the climate system by analyzing satellite data. I also assist in the development of the algorithms that take in the raw satellite data and generate scientific products, analyze their performance, and write the official production code. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. Participating in conference calls is challenging for me. I find it difficult getting my speech started when the people on the conference call are not aware that I’m trying to speak. Did you self-disclose your stuttering with co-workers, clients and or customers? I’ve been working with the same group of people for years so everyone knows that I stutter. I can’t hide it, nor do I try to. What is your proudest moment at your current company? Working on the same satellite for 25 years and making a substantial impact on its data products brings me a tremendous amount of joy. What’s your best advice for people who stutter striving to achieve career success? Don’t be afraid of stuttering in public and don’t change what you’re going to say based on fear of stuttering.

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!

Learn how Ben Zucker,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Airman Ben Zucker Briefly describe your daily job duties. I work missions! I help tip off US and Allied forces to potential threats using my foreign language skills. While I can’t go too deeply into what I do, my work can be quite rewarding and I would recommend those who have a knack for foreign language and are seeking work to consider the Air Force language program. While the job can be stressful at times, it always feels good to know that my work is meaningful and can help save lives. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. The most challenging part was definitely learning Russian from scratch. I was fine with the reading and writing, but speaking a foreign language with a stutter is legitimately challenging. A lot of the speech techniques that I learned in English didn’t really apply well to some of the sounds in Russian. In the end I was able to get through the speaking portion of the training, but I definitely sympathize with bilingual people who stutter and the challenge that that brings. Speaking is already hard enough for many of us, but speaking in a language that you’re not comfortable with adds a whole extra layer of difficulty. 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 unsuspecting peers? Yes, and initially I was disqualified from the Armed Forces due to it. Luckily, the Air Force was in need of qualified linguists and I was able to file a waiver and get through. It was important that I worked extra hard though because I always felt that I was under a bit of extra scrutiny due to my condition. I also disclosed my stutter upon arriving to my first duty station during the introduction meeting, and my peers responded well to it. I regularly disclose and am happy to educate if others inquire about it. The main reason that I like disclosing is because I don’t want to give others the impression that I’m a nervous or uncertain person. Disclosing that I stutter allows me to control the framing of the issue, and in some sense exert a measure of ownership over it. It also helps sever the common association between stuttering and nervousness by presenting stuttering in a different light. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. While I wouldn’t say that my stutter directly improves my job performance, I would say that it has helped me connect with people on some occasions and acts as an excellent filter. I feel that it has made me more empathetic to the struggles of others, and this trait has helped with interpersonal relationships and has certainly made me memorable. Even supervisors and co-workers from years ago often still remember me, and not too long ago I received an email from a supervisor who I had 5 years ago asking how I was doing. For better or for worse, stuttering makes it much more difficult to stay below the radar. What is your proudest moment at your current company? My proudest moment was graduating from my language training course. It was a difficult course, and one-third of my starting class did not graduate. The cost of failing the course would have meant that I either would have been separated from the Air Force or that I would have been assigned to whatever job the Air Force is in need of, which would have essentially placed my future out of my hands. Graduating was a huge accomplishment, and I was able to demonstrate to my teachers and peers that stuttering is no barrier to success. What are your long-term career aspirations? I’m currently applying to MBA programs and looking to concentrate in financial technology. I’m endlessly fascinated in the ways in which money and technology interact and transform the way that traditional financial services are done. 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’ve found that it’s best to be upfront and open about it. Show your employer that stuttering is only a small part of you, and that you have many other skills that you bring to the table. People who stutter can make excellent employees, managers, and entrepreneurs by embracing their stutter as a part of them as opposed to constantly trying to hide it, often by staying silent. It’s very important that we don’t view every instance of stuttering as a failure. While we may not have full control of our speech, we are in control of our attitudes and how we evaluate and frame success. Plenty of employers will overlook a stutter, but a bad attitude is actually a much bigger burden.

Learn how Trevor Bell,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Sr. IT Security Specialist Trevor Bell Briefly describe your daily job duties. Protecting people, patients, and data while tracking bad guys across the Internet. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. Interfacing with third-party/vendors in virtual meetings. Most of my team is aware of the fact I stutter, however, meeting with external customers always presents more of a challenge. What are your long-term career aspirations? My career aspirations are to continue up the cybersecurity ladder and eventually teach. I love mentoring aspiring cybersecurity enthusiasts. I was fortunate to have a few mentors when I was just starting out. I enjoy helping others get to where he or she wants to be, professionally. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? In 2021, I had the pleasure of participating in a research study where I worked with Speech Pathologists on placing more emphasis on other facets of communications. These facets included eye contact, tempo, hand gestures, and disclosure. This program really showed me how disclosure helps everyone, the listener and myself. I make it a point to disclose at the beginning of the hiring process and other social interactions. What is your proudest moment at your current company? Aside from professional moments, my proudest moment is just blending in with my coworkers. I have been with the company for over a year and being hired during the pandemic made things difficult but I made the most of it. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. For a lack of a better phrase, stuttering has allowed me to work with a “chip on my shoulder”. Throughout my younger years, I’ve always felt like I had to work harder because I did not have the “gift of gab” and I could not articulate my work as well as others. So, I always let my work speak for myself, which made me work harder not smarter. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Disclose, disclose, disclose. Hearing the words, “I am a person who stutters” goes a very long way.

Learn how Kaleb Brown,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Front Desk Associate Kaleb Brown Norman, OK Front Desk Associate Crunch Fitness Briefly describe your daily job duties. My job duties include giving our customers the best experience possible going into the gym. Whether that is saying ”hello” ”Welcome in” or ”Have a great workout”. I am also responsible for telling people about what our gym offers for those interested in signing up for a membership. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. I would say speaking to people who don’t know that I stutter. It’s a daily challenge that takes practice. What are your long-term career aspirations? My long-term goal is to be a gym owner. I plan on working somewhere in the community related to health and wellness. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? I am pretty open to my stutter with people I work with. All of my co-workers and bosses are all very accepting of my speech. I often think it doesn’t even faze them. What is your proudest moment at your current company? Winning employee of the month! Also, seeing my co-workers succeed. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. My speech has given me a hunger to succeed in life. It’s given me a different outlook, and I can relate to people better that may be struggling with something. Stuttering has caused me to work harder every day. 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 for people who stutter is to be the best version of themselves every day, no matter the circumstances. Give yourself grace day by day and be patient with yourself.

Learn how Logan Williamson,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Process Engineer Logan Williamson Briefly describe your job and daily work duties. I am a process engineer at Corning, a Fortune 500 company that specializes in glass and ceramics technology. I currently work in the Pharmaceutical Technologies division, a newer business within Corning that focuses on developing and manufacturing pharmaceutical packaging devices such as vials, syringes and cartridges. My daily responsibilities include monitoring the key process parameters to ensure all quality specifications are met, implementing continuous improvements ideas, owning and updating documentation, troubleshooting equipment, scheduling maintenance, and being the spokesperson for process performance at the daily production meeting. Before becoming a process engineer, I began my career with Corning as a shift supervisor, managing front line operations within the plant. In this role, I directly managed a team of about 20 operators to ensure that daily production targets and quality standards were met. I am also an officer within Corning’s internal Toastmasters club, serving as Vice President of Membership. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. The most challenging part of my job as a person who stutters is working in an environment known for constant change. Most of the time, I am juggling multiple high-priority tasks at the same time. This can result in me being stressed out as a I try to coordinate activities to various groups of people. When I get stressed, it directly impacts the severity of my stutter, which can result in frustration and loss of focus. I overcome this by trying to focus on prioritizing my tasks so that I do not become overwhelmed. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? I disclosed my stuttering by talking about my leadership experience as an NSA chapter leader during college. This allowed me to frame my stutter as a strength, rather than a weakness. It also portrayed a sense of personal confidence that I think potential employers will admire from a candidate who stutters. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. Being a person who stutters is humbling. I believe the experiences that a person who stutters goes through makes them more empathetic and increases their emotional intelligence and ability to connect with others. This characteristic really helped me when I served as a shift supervisor at Corning. I had a natural sense of understanding for my employees need to be heard and understood. Because of this, all of them respected me and valued my opinion when I had an idea – because they knew I was taking their interest into account when making a decision. What is your proudest moment at your current company? There are two moments that come to mind. The first was when I transitioned out of my shift supervisor role. During my final days as their supervisor, many of my employees came up to me and thanked me for the job I had done. They appreciated the respect that I had for each and every one of them and took the time to wish me the best in my new role as an engineer. The second proud moment came when I was elected as Vice President of Membership of the Toastmasters club at Corning. I had only been a member for about 2 months when I was nominated for the role. During my first speech to the club I talked about the challenges I had overcome in my life, with a specific focus on the challenges of stuttering. In this speech, I believe they saw the emotional connection that I could form with people and had faith that I could transfer this over to forming relationships and interacting with potential new members as an ambassador for the club. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Never turn down opportunities because of your stutter. Confidence only comes by tackling challenges and overcoming adversity. I suffered from low self-confidence while in college because I was always blaming my stutter for my short-comings and missed opportunities. At some point late in college (and after my involvement with the NSA), I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and never let my stutter stop me from doing something I wanted to do again. This was the point at which my life began to change for the better. As I took on more challenges, my confidence blossomed, and I rode this high to take on even tougher challenges. This “challenge — confidence — tougher challenge — more confidence” feedback loop has allowed me to be in the fortunate position I am today. The tough lesson that took me nearly 20 years to learn is you only truly fail when you do not try. Just think – if you try something and it kills you, you won’t have to do it again! (Thanks Eric Mandel for this wonderful motto from the 2019 NSA Annual Conference.)

Learn how Eamonn Hubert,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Musician Eamonn Hubert Endicott, NY Musician Hot Dogs & Gin Briefly describe your daily job duties. I perform live music with my band and as a duo with my Dad for several shows a month, both private and public. I was also on the US Broadway First National Tour of “School of Rock the Musical” as a musician and swing/understudy for three characters, and went on several times in 13 states when I was ten years old. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. The most challenging part of what I do is talking spontaneously to fans and doing interviews. I tend to stutter more when I’m excitedly speaking about something that isn’t rehearsed or scripted. I also stutter more while I’m in the early stages of learning lines for a role. This is a challenge every year when I participate in my school musical which is always put together in a very short time. What are your long-term career aspirations? I hope to attend music school someday and continue to perform as a professional musician. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? When I was cast in School of Rock I didn’t disclose my stutter, but I’m pretty sure the casting team noticed it! It didn’t seem to matter to them since most actors don’t stutter once their lines are memorized. It did affect my being selected to speak on press days– I usually wasn’t allowed to because of my stutter. What is your proudest moment at your current company? My proudest moment has probably been performing with my band, Hot Dogs & Gin, at the NYS Blues Festival last summer. I first performed there with another band when I was six, but to have a full set to ourselves was such an honor! Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. I’m not sure how stuttering helps me, but I don’t really think about it as much anymore. I’m fairly fluent most of the time and when I’m not, I don’t let it bother me. Most of the folks who come out to see us perform know I have a stutter (I’m also autistic) from old social media posts. I hope that if anyone who stutters does notice my stutter, they will see it’s not a big deal for me and doesn’t have to be for them either. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Focus on strengths and use whatever fluency tools you may have learned as needed. If others have reactions or questions about the stutter, just tell them it’s part of you like anything else: eye color, gender, etc. and that it doesn’t affect your ability to be awesome! The more you worry about your stutter, the less fluent and confident you’ll be.