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Follow the NSA on social media for updates, resources, and stuttering awareness campaigns. Join the conversation today. Join the Conversation Social media is a preeminent way to connect with others instantly both locally and across the globe. The National Stuttering Association offers a variety of ways to connect with others online to discuss the various aspects of stuttering, seek the advice of professionals or others in your situation, or simply make new friends who stutter or catch up with old friends. Connect over the internet with others who know how you feel. Groups get to know each other by asking questions, discussing tough issues and finding answers to questions. Facebook This is the first stop (after this website!) to find information about stuttering and to connect with other PWS and professionals. Check out photos of stuttering events, catch up with friends, old and new, and see what’s going on in the world of stuttering and the NSA in real time! Instagram Browse through the latest graphics and images showing what the NSA is up to, and all about! LinkedIn Stay up to date with the NSA’s career resources on LinkedIn. You’ll be informed about upcoming webinars, career profiles, practice interview resources, and more. Have a career success story you want to share? Write a post and tag us – we love celebrating your wins! YouTube The NSA YouTube channel is the place to view videos from our NSA’ers, staff, board members, and supporters related to stuttering. Mailing List Sign up for the free National Stuttering Association mailing list to receive the latest in news, events, store discounts, research and more regarding stuttering and the NSA. This is the primary mode of direct communication the members of the stuttering community. NSA Parents Facebook Group The NSA Parents Facebook group is a closed, moderated group open only to the parents of kids, ‘tweens, and teens who stutter. This group offers parents a safe environment in which to share stories and trials, seek advice, and gain support from other parents of kids who stutter. Those interested in joining must answer the required entry questions, and will be vetted. NSA Chapter Leaders This is a closed, moderated group is open only to NSA Chapter Leaders and serves as a place for them to connect, share ideas and stay in the loop! You can ask questions, start a discussion or share information about your chapter that other CLs may benefit from. NSA Teens Facebook Group The NSA Teens Facebook group is a closed, moderated group open only to teens (ages 13-17) who stutter to have a safe environment in which to share stories and trials, seek advice, and gain support from other teens who stutter. Those interested in joining must answer the required entry questions, and will be vetted. NSA Young Adults The NSA Young Adults Facebook group is a closed, moderated group open to 20- and 30-somethings who stutter to have a safe environment in which to share stories and trials, seek advice, and gain support from others who stutter. Those interested in joining must answer the required entry questions, and will be vetted. NSA Military Support The NSA Military Support group is for current and former military personnel to talk to each other and to give and get advice and support about stuttering. For more information on or to join any of these groups, click on the group name above. All groups are moderated closely by NSA staff to maintain a safe environment for discussion. Bullying, abuse, harassment, and outside sales/solicitation will not be tolerated in any of our groups, and the offending member will be removed without prior warning. For questions, comments, or to report any abuse within a group or page, please email the NSA Communications Coordinator .

Find stuttering resources and programs for teens. Join a supportive community designed to empower young people. Connect, Support, and Thrive The teenage years can be an exciting and challenging stage of life – new schools, new freedoms, and new challenges, including those with your speech. Many teens who stutter may feel like they are the alone, like they are the only one who understands how they feel. Am I Alone? As a teen who stutters, you may experience daily challenges and difficulties that your peers do not. You may face ridicule by classmates. You may experience anxiety in social situations such as dating, but with the added worry of “Will he/she not like me because of my stutter?” You may feel nervous in class wondering if today is the day the teacher will call on you to participate. You may wonder if you are alone. You’re in the right place to connect with other teens who have been through some of the same experiments, struggles, and triumphs, and know exactly how you feel! NSA® Teens understand the specific challenges and difficulties that you may be experiencing, and they are here to support you and help you to navigate through them successfully. Stuttering is a part of you, but it does not – and will never – define you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! The NSA is Here to Help! We offer a variety of ways to connect with other teens who stutter, both online and in person. FIND YOUR LOCAL CHAPTER NSA TEENS INSTAGRAM NSA TEENS FACEBOOK GROUP TEEN ADVISORY COUNCIL UPCOMING NSA EVENTS Junior Chapter Leaders This specialized position is open to teens (ages 13-17) who want to become more involved in their chapter meetings, working with existing Chapter Leaders in the planning and execution of chapter meetings, and who can serve as a role model for their peers and/or the younger children in their chapter. This is an opportunity for teens to become more engaged within the NSA, learn leadership skills, and express themselves creatively, with the opportunity to continue on as Chapter Leaders when you ‘age out’ of your NSA Teen or Family Chapter. Junior Chapter Leaders will still need their parent or guardian to attend all meetings with them, and the Chapter Leader must be there for the entirety of the meetings as well. Interested? Apply today! Learn More About Stuttering Stuttering Explained Causes of Stuttering Treatment for Stuttering Facts about Stuttering Myths about Stuttering Famous People Who Stutter Educating your Classmates Find a Speech Therapist

Keep your NSA chapter information accurate and up-to-date. Submit the Chapter Listing Update Form to ensure your community can easily find you. This form is used to ensure that our website reflects the most current meeting and information. Please refer to your chapter listing on our website PRIOR to completing this form. Keep in mind that the more contact info you can include, the better chance of a potential chapter attendee reaching out. In-person meetings must be held in a consistent, public location (library, office building, classroom, etc), and may not be held in a private home. We also ask that you maintain a regular meeting day and time to the best of your ability. Chapter Listing Update Form * First name * Last name * Email * Chapter Name * What info do you need updated on the website? Social Media Handles @ NOTE: Chapters must meet in a public location (library, office building, classroom, etc), and may not be held in a private home. SUBMIT

Join the Baltimore City - Adult stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Baltimore City ADULT CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS MID-ATLANTIC REGION Official NSA Chapter - Maryland State Welcome to the NSA Baltimore City 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? Ella Bailey Recreation Center – 100 E. Heath Street Baltimore, Maryland 21218 When? Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 6:30-8:00PM Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Evan Draine Chapter Leader Get in touch! evanmdraine@gmail.com (410) 396-4634 - 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

Share your career success story with the NSA. Inspire others by submitting your profile to highlight achievements as a person who stutters. Submit your career profile Thank for your interest in being profiled as a person who stutters achieving career success. It’s stories like yours that help highlight the impact people who stutter are having in the workplace. Please fill out the following form by answering each question. Concise and thoughtful answers are appreciated . * First name * Last name * Pronouns She/Her He/Him They/Them Prefer not to answer Other * Email Phone LinkedIn profile URL * City | State * Employer Employer website * Job title * Please briefly describe your daily job duties * What is the most challenging part of your job as a person who stutters? * What are your long-term career aspirations? * Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the hiring process? If so, how did you do it? How do you currently disclose your stuttering to unsuspecting co-workers, clients, and/or customers? * What is your proudest moment at your current company? (Does not have to be related to stuttering.) * What are some of the proudest moments in your life that have nothing to do with “perfect speech,” but everything to do with resilience or character? Please describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. * What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and those in a career striving to achieve greater success? * Please upload a current photo Upload File Due to the number of responses we receive, not every profile will be chosen to be shared on the NSA’s website and/or social media. You will be contacted if your profile is selected to be shared by the NSA. SUBMIT

Find support and resources tailored for college students who stutter. Access scholarships, programs, and more. Stuttering Support for College Students Written by: Marina Piazza Hearing from others who have gone before you can often help you to navigate new or difficult situations. Read on as some of our NSA’ers discuss their opinions about how stuttering relates to college. Classroom The classes that you will encounter in college will probably differ from the classes that you have experienced in high school. College classes are often larger, require independent work, and demand more critical thinking skills. However, if you are a person who stutters, do not assume that all universities only have huge lecture halls and you won’t have to speak up in class. This is simply not true! Many universities offer smaller classes and seminars courses, especially for first year students. It is important to participate in class and ask questions, especially if the subject matter is difficult. You don’t want to fall behind from your classmates just because you were afraid to speak up. If you feel comfortable doing so, you can approach your professors privately after the lecture and tell them that you stutter and that it may take you a longer time to get your thoughts out in class. It may be necessarily to approach your professor if you are taking a public speaking class or are enrolled in a course which requires you to make timed oral presentations. The professor can then make accommodations for you, if needed. It is crucial for you to be proactive to maximize your educational experience to ensure your success in college and eventually, your future career. -Chani Leaving the Comforts of Home Starting college is a challenging experience because you will be leaving everything familiar to you back at home. It can be especially difficult for you, a teenager who stutters, because you will be leaving those closest to you who understand your history with stuttering, advocate on your behalf, and want you to succeed. However, you may find that beginning college can feel like a huge relief because you will be starting with a clean slate. Your classmates and professors will not have any prior assumptions about you and your speech. If your stutter is mild, people may not even realize that you stutter! You will probably find that students in college are less judgmental than your classmates in junior high and high school. However, it is important to keep in mind that regardless of your present level of fluency, your stuttering may get worse when you first begin college. You will be entering a new environment, the coursework will be stressful, and you will be meeting dozens of new people. If you were in speech therapy in high school, it can feel scary to “be on your own” controlling speech. Anticipate that your speech may be less fluent and be mentally prepared for what you will do if and when that happens. If you learnt fluency-shaping or stuttering modification techniques in therapy, continue to practice those in college. Try to get enough sleep, stick to a healthy diet, and find ways for you to relax. Most importantly, stay positive and keep in touch with those who love and care for you back at home- family, friends, neighbors, therapists- and that will make the adjustment way easier. -Chani College Students Attitude The students in college overall are a lot different than high school. The students tend to be more mature and less judgmental then high school from my experience. College students seem to be a lot more accepting of stuttering and all other disabilities even though I don’t consider stuttering a disability. Depending on what type of college you choose there are usually a lot more students than high school so it is not like you are stuck with the same people in every class. If you do come across someone in college who isn’t accepting of your stuttering most likely you won’t see them very often depending on the size of your college. If you do come across them often you can most likely avoid them because of how many students there are unlike high school. So far in college I have not had any negative experiences with my stuttering. My transition into the “college life” was a lot easier than I thought it would be. -Garrett Langer Finding Therapy/Support in College In college you can often get speech therapy on campus especially if your college has speech language pathology as a major and has clinics on campus. I receive therapy at my college for a discounted rate compared to what the general public pays because I am a student. Speech therapy can be expensive especially when trying to pay for college so having discounted speech therapy available is really cool. I also think that therapy in a college clinic setting is really cool not only for us, but for the graduate students. When you receive therapy by the graduate students most likely you are the first person who stutters that they have ever worked with. I feel that not only are they going over tools and other things that I want to work on, but I feel that I am able to educate them on my experience with stuttering which may help the next person who stutters that they give therapy to.-Garrett Langer General College Topics I personally used stuttering in my college application. It has been a major part of my life and its helped my overcome some events and shape who I am. I freely disclose stuttering on every essay where I have the chance. As for dorm life, I didn’t let it bare any effort on where I ended up. When my new roommate and I contacted each other, I explained that I stutter and she was okay with it. I figured if I am comfortable with my speech, she will be too. There isn’t a lot of therapy that I consider to be helpful and the fact that I go to school in a remote area doesn’t help either. My friends as a whole support me in my speech so I have that going for me. Leaving the comforts of my “home” was more of a personal thing with leaving my life and civilization behind. I went from one of the largest cities in America to a village which was quite depressing. The difference from high school to college is that you pretty much have to “have you your own back” . Be ready to stand up for yourself and make your own way. Meeting people for the first time is tough plus classrooms sometimes aren’t as intimate as it might be in high school. It can be intimidating raising your hand in a big lecture class. Honestly, going to college as a person who stutters isn’t a really big deal. People are more open because people are more “mature” in their thinking. If you don’t want to talk to anyone then you don’t have to and if you do then you find people who click. College seems scary because others have fear attached to their stuttering. Drop the shield and the fear and dive right in.

< Back Listening Deeply, Learning Constantly: Meet Monica Johnson If you’ve ever met Monica Johnson, you’ve likely experienced two things: her deep respect for human connection… and a pun so good that it sticks with you all day. Monica is a speech-language pathologist (SLP), researcher, and teacher who brings warmth, curiosity, and heart into every space she’s in. Her journey with the National Stuttering Association (NSA) started during graduate school, but it wasn’t until she returned to earn her Ph.D. that things really clicked. Attending her first NSA Conference during that time proved to be a turning point. “Being part of the NSA during my education and clinical training has provided me with invaluable insights into the lived experiences of people who stutter,” she says. “It has deeply informed my clinical work, research, and teaching.” Monica didn’t just join the NSA to listen… she also joined to learn, to connect, and to reframe the way our field approaches stuttering. “Understanding stuttering goes far beyond fluency techniques and textbooks—it requires a deeper awareness of the social, emotional, and identity-related dimensions that shape everyday life.” That deeper awareness is at the core of her research, which explores how stuttering impacts romantic connection and self-perception in dating contexts, areas sometimes pushed to the margins of clinical conversations. For Monica, the NSA offers a space where these kinds of real-life experiences can finally take center stage. “This community is actively changing the narrative around stuttering—from a focus on ‘fixing’ to one rooted in empowerment, communication confidence, and genuine acceptance.” And while Monica is all about showing up with intention, she’s also all about showing up with joy. Especially when it comes to her favorite thing: relationships. “I’m obsessed with dating, intimacy, and all the ‘ships’—friendships, mentorships, partnerships, you name it,” she says. “Stuttering doesn’t exist in isolation—it lives in the spaces between people, in the pauses, the courage, the conversations.” Whether she’s in the therapy room or at a karaoke night absolutely not crushing the vocals (her words, not ours!), Monica makes it clear that it’s not about perfection. It’s about presence. It’s about people. It’s about the kind of growth that happens when we slow down, listen up, and learn from one another. “The NSA has created a space where real connection is possible. Where lived experiences and authentic voices are not only welcomed, but celebrated.” So what’s she proud of? Not the pitch-perfect karaoke, but the connections she’s built by simply showing up with care. “I’m proud of the relationships I’ve built by showing up with intention, openness, and respect—especially in spaces where people are trusting me with their voices and their stories.” Her advice to newcomers? “Come as you are—your voice, your pace, your story—it all belongs here.” And now, a few essential Monica facts: Favorite ice cream: Ben & Jerry's non-dairy The Tonight Dough. Mountains, beach, or desert?: Mountains. Favorite rewatch: Rom-coms from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Dream vacation: Hawaii. Karaoke style: Enthusiastic. Painfully off-key. Completely unbothered. Pets?: Technically, plant babies. Ask her about them and prepare for a full photo gallery. We’re lucky to have Monica in this community! Previous Next

Access WeStutter@Work Resources from the National Stuttering Association. Find tools, tips, and support to excel professionally as a person who stutters. Empower Your Career Journey Discover resources, support, and real stories to help you thrive in your professional life. JOIN OUR COMMUNITY ON LINKEDIN Achieve Your Career Goals At the National Stuttering Association, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed professionally, regardless of their fluency. Our WeStutter@Work Program is dedicated to empowering individuals who stutter with the tools, resources, and support needed to achieve their career ambitions. Whether you are starting your job search, preparing for interviews, or advancing in your career, we are here to help you every step of the way. Resources for Success Essential Tools for Professional Growth Mentorship Program The WeStutter@Work Mentorship Program is the first of its kind, designed to connect individuals who stutter with mentors who truly understand their experiences. This initiative provides a supportive environment where participants can explore and create achievable career goals, build confidence in the workplace, and receive guidance from other professionals who stutter or from allies committed to fostering workplace inclusion for those who stutter. Through meaningful mentorship, participants can gain insights, celebrate victories (no matter how big or small), and develop the skills and confidence to thrive both personally and professionally. By joining, you become part of a groundbreaking community dedicated to redefining what it means to succeed in the workplace as a person who stutters. JOIN THE PROGRAM Practice Interviews Enhance your interview skills with personalized online practice sessions. Participate in free job interview practice sessions designed to boost your confidence as a person who stutters. Get the job you want and deserve with tailored feedback and expert guidance. LEARN MORE Full Disclosure Inspiring career advice from a successful professional who stutters. Discover valuable career insights and advice from Carl Coffey, a professional who has overcome challenges to build a thriving career. His experience will inspire and guide you to navigate your professional journey. LEARN MORE Professional Resources Build a supportive work environment. Create an inclusive and supportive workplace. Explore our professional resources, packed with valuable insights and strategies. Share this information to educate employers, allies, and listeners about stuttering. LEARN MORE Recorded Webinars Learn how to make a bigger impact at work as a person who stutters. Access recorded webinars with insights and strategies to help you excel professionally while embracing your unique strengths. Discover how to turn challenges into opportunities. LEARN MORE For Employers 1 in 100 people stutter That means employers will likely encounter people who stutter (PWS) in the workplace. Employers should not overlook the skills and talents of PWS and instead offer paths towards promotion and potential leadership roles. LEARN MORE Real Stories of Success Meet individuals who stutter and have achieved remarkable career success. Find inspiration in their stories and learn from their experiences. VIEW ALL CAREER PROFILES Steve Ernst Learn about Steve’s story VIEW PROFILE Madison Nichols Learn about Madison’s story VIEW PROFILE Leigh Gaston Learn about Leigh’s story VIEW PROFILE Explore Resources Stuttering Put Simply: Your Stuttering Analogy in the Workplace This blog explores simple, relatable analogies that help people who stutter explain their communication in the workplace, challenge common myths, and encourage understanding, empathy, and stronger collaboration among colleagues and employers. Stuttering Advocacy Bingo Board for the Workplace Print out your 2026 Stuttering Advocacy Bingo Board, a flexible tool that helps people who stutter build confidence and supportive workplace environments. From Awareness to Action: How NSA Programs Make a Difference It’s one thing to talk the talk. It’s quite another to walk the walk. We don’t just raise awareness about stuttering. We create real change. From NSA Chapters and virtual meetups to youth programs, workplace advocacy, and groundbreaking research, our initiatives are helping people who stutter and their families thrive. This article takes you inside our programs that move the needle! Inspire Others with Your Journey Celebrate your career milestones! Share your journey and inspire others in the stuttering community. SHARE YOUR STORY Be Part of a Thriving Community The WeStutter@Work LinkedIn Group is a vibrant community of professionals who stutter, mentors, and allies committed to supporting each other’s career growth. By joining our LinkedIn group, you'll gain access to exclusive materials and a supportive network that understands your unique experiences. Let’s achieve career success together! JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Expand Your Skills and Network Join our upcoming events and workshops designed to support your professional growth. No events at the moment

Learn how Owen Kaelble,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Content Management Assistant Owen Kaelble Indianapolis, IN Content Management Assistant Ruth Lilly Medical Library Briefly describe your daily job duties. I make sure our content, which includes medical journals, articles, databases, and more, remains accessible to doctors, students, and libraries around the world. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. The most challenging part of my job is whenever I have to talk with a stranger. Introducing myself always gives me anxiety, but I always get through it. What are your long-term career aspirations? My long term career aspirations are focused on working in the wide field of sports. I am currently earning my master’s degree in sports journalism and have covered multiple basketball tournaments, including the most recent Final Four in New Orleans. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? Nope, I did not self-disclose my stutter during the hiring process. Usually, coworkers simply find out I stutter through conversation with me because I tend to stutter often in regular conversation. Sometimes I subconsciously say, “Sorry, I stutter,” if it takes me especially long to say something in my introduction to someone. However, I try not to do that. I am not ashamed of my stutter. What is your proudest moment at your current company? My proudest moment is simply being able to assist all the health care workers around the world. I am honored to be a part of the process. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. I’m not sure if my stutter itself makes me more of a contributor because it’s only a small part of me and who I am. But I do not try to hide it and I fully embrace it so I hope my acceptance of it encourages fellow stutterers to be who they are as well. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Take as much time as you need to say whatever you need to say. It does not matter how long it takes you to say it. What matters is simply saying it.

Learn how John Raab,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Sr. Manager Flight Software & Spacecraft Simulation John Raab Parker, CO Sr. Manager Flight Software & Spacecraft Simulation Lockheed Martin Briefly describe your daily job duties. Develop, test and maintain software for spacecraft operations. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. Verbal communications are challenging in new situations with people that you don’t know. There is a tendency to stay in your comfort zone because of this. I always tried to maintain a “if I were a winner” mentality when making decisions. What are your long-term career aspirations? I am recently retired but during those 36 years, I was committed to advancing my career regardless of stuttering challenges. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? I’m not real proud of this. I didn’t say anything about my stuttering during the job interview. I guess I was afraid it might hurt my chances of getting the job. When I got home, I reconsidered. I sent my future manager a letter thanking him for the interview and I disclosed the fact that I stuttered. What is your proudest moment at your current company? I was in charge of the flight rules while the spacecraft was in the Space Shuttle cargo bay before deployment. My supervisor told me that I would have a console position in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center. I knew I would need to to talk on the “net”. I was terrified but I said, “Okay”. My supervisor’s manager said that because it was manned spaceflight that I was not going. It was clearly because of my speech. I was more relieved than upset. At that point, the Program Manager stepped in and overruled everyone. “John is going” he said. I did go. There were some anomalies during the mission and I was in the middle of it all. I stuttered some but overall had good success. Later, our team got to meet with our astronaut crew. The whole thing was an amazing experience. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. Everyone brings their whole person to work. People deal with challenges that are not always visible. I was able to look past things that were not perfect and focus on the important things like getting the job 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? An employee that worked in my group gave a customer presentation and stuttered significantly. It didn’t go well. His lead asked me what we should do. I told him to talk with him about it and that he was probably more resilient than you think. We gave him the job of reporting status at our weekly staff meeting. The plan was to provide opportunities to help him gain more experience over time. That worked. I’m sorry he got thrown in the fire the first time. My advice is to talk with your supervisor about your speech and keep the lines of communication open.

Meet Ashleigh Givens, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Ashleigh Givens DEI Committee Ashleigh is a fashion photographer and multimedia artist currently residing in Detroit, Michigan and a recent graduate of the College for Creative Studies. In her free time she enjoys traveling (next up: Japan!), reading books on art and design, going to concerts, and taking care of her extensive houseplant collection. Ashleigh loves the NSA community and wants to contribute to making the NSA a more diverse space where people who stutter from all walks of life and all backgrounds can feel welcomed. Having navigated childhood with a stutter, she knows what it’s like to feel like an outsider, and gives her utmost effort to ensure no one feels like that at the NSA. Ashleigh is an advocate for herself and others, and is excited to bring her energy and passion to the DEI Committee.

Learn how Justin Keirans,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Product Manager Justin Keirans Briefly describe your daily job duties. I’m a Product Manager and I work on software projects. My job is to help define features and functionality that make our customers’ lives better, then work with Designers, Software Engineers, and Testers to turn those ideas into reality. A typical day is split between learning new things (e.g., research, understanding what problems exist and how people are solving them, learning new skills, etc.), attending and/or facilitating meetings, helping teams make progress on projects/tasks, and working through ideas and information that can be applied to future projects. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. Presenting to groups of people is always challenging for me (large groups are even tougher!), so I always try to prepare visuals that can help illustrate the points I’m making. Things like pictures, diagrams, or step-by-step flows help communicate complicated ideas while I’m working through the words I want to say. What are your long-term career aspirations? I’d love to continue working on products that make people’s lives better. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? Yes, I prefer to self-disclose when talking with recruiters, hiring managers, interviewers, etc. Mentioning that I’m a person who stutters early in the conversation helps me focus on what I’m saying instead of how I’m saying it. My go-to disclosure phrase is something like, “And just so you’re aware, I stutter when I talk so you’ll probably hear me repeat words or get stuck on certain sounds. But don’t worry, it’s not contagious.” It’s memorable and sets realistic expectations while letting them know that I have a sense of humor and I’m comfortable talking openly about it. What is your proudest moment at your current company? Helping to deliver a complex billing system rewrite with an all-remote team that required sustained teamwork and collaboration across our organization. We successfully introduced a lot of change during a very uncertain time in everyone’s lives. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. I work on being a good, active listener. I always try to give people the space and time to share their ideas without interruption because I know how hard it can be to communicate. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? In general, people don’t think about the way you speak as much as you think they do, so take the time you need to say what you want to say using the words that you want to use. Get creative about the ways in which you communicate information and ideas. Model the behaviors that you’d like to see in others and set boundaries for yourself to help maintain a healthy work life.