< Back Previous Ana Hernandez Presenter Ana Hernandez was recognized by the National Stuttering Association as the 2025 SLP of the Year. She is the owner of Adult Stuttering, creator of Green Social and the Safe Spaces of Stuttering approach, and a proud Global Partner of the Blank Center for Stuttering. Ana is an international speaker who provides professional training for schools and businesses. Her work is centered on prioritizing quality and dignity for those who stutter. Next

Meet Bret Denning, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Bret Denning Seasoned Voices Committee Bret Denning is a relative newcomer to the National Stuttering Association, having attended his first NSA Annual Conference in 2025. Since then, he has been excited by the opportunity to become more involved in the stuttering community. Bret is a business development professional with a government contractor in the Washington, DC area. He and his wife, Angie, live in Northern Virginia. When the weather is warm, you can often find Bret out on a golf course, wandering the fairways and pretending he knows what he’s doing.

Learn how Nicole Osborne,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Paramedic Nicole Osborne Briefly describe your daily job duties. As an ambulance paramedic, I respond to the emergency calls and provide urgent medical assistance in a variety of situations from traffic accidents to household incidents to inter-hospital transfers. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. Speaking on the radio and phone is an on-going requirement of my job and it’s an everyday challenge for me. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? No, I didn’t disclose my stutter. I am able to manage my stutter quite well in that not many people know or notice it. My stutter comes across more as a lisp but I still block a lot and it comes out more often when I’m tired and anxious. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. It’s made me a much better listener because I know what it’s like to not be given the chance to speak. What is your proudest moment at your current company? I experience small victories every day when I am able to give a clear handover of a patient in need to hospital staff without blocking on words. What are your long-term career aspirations? I thoroughly enjoy my current position as an Advanced Life Support paramedic and do not wish to advance into management or into an Intensive Care position. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Just know it will happen at some point. Try to not freak out too much because you will stutter. I’ve been lucky that I can conceal my stutter quite well, but I don’t freak out because I know I will block a lot on words.

Learn how Jeff Fett,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Marketing Director Jeff Fett Briefly describe your daily job duties. As the Marketing Director, I oversee a department of seven marketing professionals. It’s my job to oversee the execution of all of the company’s marketing efforts including: Print Collateral, Social Media Posts, Digital and Print Ad Campaigns, Internal Communications, as well as Brand Development/Management to name a few. My first big project in my new position is to develop a new corporate website. That should launch after the first of the year. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. The most challenging part of my job has been proving that I am capable. In college, I was told by a Graphic Design professor, “Please change your major. No one will ever take you seriously or hire you.” At my one-year evaluation of my first professional job I was told, “You may have noticed that we haven’t let you go out and meet the clients. That’s because we consider you to be disabled and we feel you will embarrass the clients.” After working as the Creative Director for 10 years at my previous job, I was promoted to Marketing Department Manager. Six weeks after the promotion, I was told there was going to be a “restructuring.” They wanted me to go back to being the Creative Director again and someone new was going to brought in at a higher level to oversee Marketing and other company efforts. The reason they gave me was: “We feel you don’t have the voice for the job.” So, they took away the promotion based solely on the fact that I stuttered. In April of 2013, I was hired in as the Marketing Manager at America’s Preferred Home Warranty (APHW). I was brought in to start up and build APHW’s Marketing Department. When they APHW hired a CEO a few months later, I was told he would eventually look to bring in a Chief Marketing Office (CMO) to oversee all of Marketing. His background was Fortune 500 companies, mine was small businesses. This past year he finally acted on looking for his CMO. The candidates he interviewed didn’t pan out. I was told that I wasn’t qualified for the position, so I didn’t seek it out. Following those interviews, they realized it would take two years for a CMO to become effective and in the meantime, they would also bog our processes down with a lot of questions. That opened the door for my recent promotion to Marketing Director. When the promotion offer was made, which was a total surprise, I was told they wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. I have also been told that after I go through a period of training, I will eventually become the Chief Marketing Officer. I have now achieved what many had told me could never be accomplished because I am a person who stutters. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? Yes, I did disclose my stuttering during the job interview. My stutter during the interview actually became an asset. At what I would consider to be the halfway point of most interviews, the company president stopped the interview. He said, “I’ve heard enough. I can see from the way you handle your stuttering, that you are a fighter. I sense that if you don’t know the answer to a problem, you will go to great lengths to find the solution and solve it. I’m not going to interview another person for this job, you are my person. And I promise you the stuttering will never be a problem.” To date, the promise has been kept. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. During my interviews, I have always described my stuttering as an asset. I mention that people who stutter are natural listeners. When you are interviewing a client during the development process for a marketing project, if you are doing all of the talking, you are not listening to what the client is saying. I also mention that when I block, I’m usually really fighting to say something that I feel is important. That has taught me to listen to the inflections in a client’s voice. From my stuttering behaviors, I have learned to listen for the words/phrases a client emphasizes when speaking and the words/phrases or thoughts a client repeats. These are the cues that I focus on when developing a project. I have found that they provide me the key to developing the “true flavor” that my client is seeking. What is your proudest moment at your current company? My proudest moment came two years ago. APHW, when I was hired, was housed in a small 4,400-sq. ft. building and doing business in only five states. Two years ago, we moved into a 27,000-sq. ft. building. The morning of the Grand Opening for our new corporate office, I was standing alone with the APHW President in the middle of the office. We were looking around and realizing just what we had accomplished in four short years. The new office interior is a direct reflection of the branding look and feel that I had developed for APHW. At that moment, it really hit me, I had totally rebranded a company and been successful with it. That is a graphic designer’s dream. It proved that all of those who said I couldn’t do it, were wrong. Currently we are doing business in 49 states, soon to be all 50. What are your long-term career aspirations? My long-term aspirations are to be the best CMO I can be and retire from APHW in about 10 years. What’s your best advice for people who stutter striving to achieve greater career success? My first piece of advice is to surround yourself with a good circle of close friends. My job at APHW came from a reference from the printer I worked with at my previous job. They just happened to be the main printer for APHW as well. They knew of my frustration at my previous job, with the promotion being removed. So, when the APHW President was in their shop talking about his need to have someone come in and build a Marketing Department for him, they hooked me up for interview. My second piece of advice is to always give your employer “results they can’t argue with.” That was how I overcame my CEO’s objection to my background only being in small businesses. Having the CMO candidates not pan out, made him take a closer look at the results I had achieved. That was why when the offer was made, I was told, “We won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” Your stuttering will always create doubts and roadblocks in employer’s minds, but if you continuously achieve excellent results, that will be your key to unlocking the doors for future opportunities.

Learn how Kazi Sarjana Safain,a person who stutters, achieved career success. Get inspired by their journey. Doctoral Graduate Research Assistant Kazi Sarjana Safain Fargo, ND Doctoral Graduate Research Assistant North Dakota State University Briefly describe your daily job duties. I am an international student from Bangladesh studying for my PhD at North Dakota State University. I am currently working on maternal nutrition and epigenetic regulation of developmental programming in beef cattle. My main responsibilities include carrying out experiments, evaluating data, attending seminars, presenting, sharing my research with the scientific community, and publishing scholarly papers. As a person who stutters, share the most challenging part of your job. I have been stuttering since my early childhood. It has always been challenging for me to clearly explain my ideas since I stutter. I’ve noticed that introducing myself is the most challenging task that I have to deal with in my daily life. Additionally, I stutter most when I am stressed or anxious. I’m still working on making myself relaxed in these circumstances. What are your long-term career aspirations? Making the apparently insurmountable happen is something I enjoy doing. So, after successfully completing my Ph.D., I wish to pursue a job in academia where I can teach and serve as the principal investigator of my own lab. Additionally, I’ve always wanted to work with folks who have any form of disability. Did you self-disclose your stuttering during the job hiring process? Honestly, I have never self-disclosed my stuttering in any job hiring process. Now when I look back into the past, I feel that disclosing my stuttering would have made my life way easier. Now after enrolling in my Ph.D. program, I have started to slowly self-disclosing about my stuttering at the beginning of a meeting or in a presentation. I’ve noticed that everyone seems to be extremely understanding and supportive when I reveal it. Additionally, it relaxes and calms me down. What is your proudest moment at your current company? I consider myself to be a diligent, sincere, and goal-driven researcher. Describe how stuttering makes you a better, more valued contributor at work. I have been subjected to a great deal of stigma, rejection, and humiliation since I was a little child, making me feel worthless for stuttering. For the last one year, I am changing my mindset with the help of my therapist. Now, I can truly relate my life with stuttering and how stuttering has shaped my life and helped me to be a great researcher and most importantly a better person. Stuttering has made me compassionate, patient, diligent, and a person with positive vibes. In order to excel in research work and graduate studies, patience and hard work are imperative which I think I would not get this much if I were not a stutterer. Also, stuttering made me a great writer and a great listener. Till now, I have written a number of scientific papers and published them. All these aspects make me proud of myself. I used to believe that stuttering is my greatest weakness, but now I feel it’s my strength. What’s your best advice for people who stutter just entering the workplace and for those in a career striving to achieve greater success? Stuttering does not, first and foremost, define who you are. A broken speech might be pleasant if it is full of positivity, but I’ve met people with fluent speaking whose speech is full of negativity, arrogance, conceit, and other negative traits. I would advise everyone to believe in themselves and concentrate on their careers since stuttering is not and will never be a hindrance. Anything in the world is possible with effort, tenacity, and passion. Instead, stuttering would make you stronger because there are no obstacles when the aim is adequately clear. Each of us goes through obstacles and stutters in life that we feel keep us from achieving greater success. Overall, remembering that beauty and power come from conquering challenges and sharing your struggles with others is the main goal.

< Back Previous Krystle Norsworthy Presenter Krystle Norsworthy is a Medical Laboratory Scientist specializing in Transfusion Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. After obtaining her bachelor's degree in 2024, she enrolled in a graduate certificate program in transfusion medicine to deepen her expertise and grow into a leadership role in her field. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors and staying active. Next

< Back Supporter Spotlight: Ariel Sonn – From Silence to Strength When Ariel Sonn first joined the National Stuttering Association in 2017, it was during a pivotal season: her final year of college. After years of avoiding conversations about stuttering, she reached a place of acceptance — and longed to connect with others who stuttered too. Her first NSA conference was in Chicago in 2018, and it sealed the deal: Ariel was hooked. They found a community full of pride, honesty, and joy — and it changed everything. “I heard about the NSA from Vivian Sisskin. When I finally got to a place of acceptance in my stuttering journey, I decided that I wanted to meet more people with whom I could form close connections. For the longest time, I hated talking about stuttering. I couldn't even watch someone on TV stutter because it made me feel so ashamed. But then I realized the beauty and happiness of immersing yourself in a community of people who stutter and have no shame.” What followed was a complete transformation in Ariel’s relationship with stuttering. What once caused shame and silence now became a powerful part of her identity — one they proudly share. “I have moments of struggle almost every day, but the hold those moments have on me is nearly diminished.” These days, Ariel is the person her friends and family turn to for education and insight on stuttering. They’ve helped shape more inclusive, empathetic conversations — and they’re proud of it. My friends and family all support me and have shared moments where they have learned how to be better allies to other people who stutter that they've encountered in their lives. Those moments make me so proud.” Ariel’s advice to new NSA members? “Embrace everything. Have an open mind and open arms.” Get to know Ariel: Favorite ice cream: Cookies and cream Nature pick: Beach Favorite show: Gossip Girl Karaoke jam: Pink Pony Club Pets: None (yet!) Tattoo: A sparrow on her wrist to represent Jack Sparrow and the spirit of adventure 🇮🇹 Dream trip: Italy’s coastline From hiding her stutter to celebrating it as a gift, Ariel has become a beacon for others on their journeys. And through it all, the NSA community is better for having them in it. Ariel — thank you for your light, your voice, and your fierce support! Previous Next

Join the Central New Jersey - Adult & Teen stuttering support group. Connect with others, share experiences, and access resources through the National Stuttering Association. Central New Jersey ADULT, TEEN CHAPTER IN-PERSON MEETINGS MID-ATLANTIC REGION Official NSA Chapter - New Jersey State Welcome to the NSA Central New Jersey 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, Teen 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? Panera Bread 1064 US Hwy 9 Parlin, NJ 08859 When? Meetings are held on the 1st Friday of each month from 7:30-9:00PM. Chapter Leaders Who leads the meetings? Joan Ross & Sydney Mail Chapter Leaders Get in touch! jross12@aol.com (732) 995-1722 https://www.facebook.com/groups/375408645956134 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! What are NSA Local Chapters? Local chapters are the heartbeat of the NSA — powerful spaces where you can meet others, share experiences, and feel supported. Whether you’re an adult who stutters or part of a family navigating stuttering together, we have a chapter for you. Learn more about NSA Chapters and find a meeting close to home! Read more about NSA Chapters and plan to attend a meeting near you! What does a local NSA chapter do? Our purpose is to provide information, advocacy and mutual support for people who stutter, their families, and speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Come join us and experience the NSA’s motto in action: If You Stutter, You’re Not Alone®. How can I find a local NSA chapter? You can find a local NSA chapter by using the chapter locator on our website. Simply enter your location to find the nearest chapter and contact details. Visit our Chapter Locator to find a chapter near you. What happens at an NSA meeting? Your Chapter Leader may prepare a topic for the meeting or might open the floor for discussion and see where things go. Some chapters may also host social events outside of the traditional chapter meeting. The magic of the NSA is just being among other people who stutter, building connections, and having fun while doing it! NSA Chapters give people who stutter, their families and SLPs, a chance to connect and have fun-filled experiences together! Who attends an NSA Chapter? People of all ages who stutter, along with their family and friends, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and anyone interested in stuttering, are welcome at our chapters! Do you need to RSVP before joining an NSA chapter meeting? You do not need to RSVP, but it is a good idea to let the Chapter Leader know you’re coming. That helps them welcome you and makes your first visit a little easier. Do you offer virtual chapter meetings? Several NSA chapters now meet virtually, making it easy to join from wherever you are. On our Chapter Locator page, you can filter by meeting type and look specifically for virtual or hybrid chapters. When you find one that fits your needs, simply reach out to the Chapter Leader(s) for details on how to join their next meeting. We’d love to welcome you into the community. Don’t see an answer to your question? Email us at info@westutter.org How do I start a local NSA chapter? If you’re interested in starting a chapter, we’d love to hear from you. The NSA can help you understand what’s involved and what support is available. Please reach out to us at info@westutter.org to get started. How do I start a local NSA chapter? Starting a chapter is a great way to build community close to home. Email us at info@westutter.org and we’ll connect you with the guidance and resources you need to get started. You do not have to do it alone. How can I start a new NSA chapter in my area? Starting a chapter begins with reaching out to the NSA so we can help you get set up. We’ll walk you through the next steps, share helpful materials, and support you as you build a welcoming community for people who stutter and their families. 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

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 Rowan, a valued member of the National Stuttering Association team. Learn more about their role and contributions. Rowan Sisters Who Stutter Member Outreach Coordinator Rowan serves as the Member Outreach Coordinator for Sisters Who Stutter (SWS), where she focuses on strengthening member connection, engagement, and support within the community. She is also the Chair of Sisters Who Stutter, a group within the National Stuttering Association (NSA) dedicated to empowering and uplifting girls who stutter. In her outreach role, Rowan helps welcome new members, foster meaningful relationships, and ensure that girls feel seen, supported, and included. Her leadership is rooted in creating safe, affirming spaces where confidence can grow and shared experiences can turn into lasting connection. Rowan brings dedication and resilience to everything she does. She has been a member of her school’s Varsity Swim Team since seventh grade and also participates in Track and Field as a long-distance runner. Her athletic journey reflects her perseverance, discipline, and commitment to personal growth. Looking ahead, Rowan hopes to pursue a future in archaeology, combining her curiosity, love of history, and passion for discovery. She credits the NSA and Sisters Who Stutter community with helping her embrace her stutter and develop the confidence to lead and support others. Through her outreach work and leadership, Rowan continues to play a meaningful role in building a connected, welcoming community for girls who stutter.

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.

< Back Previous Dustin Linkins Presenter Dustin Linkins is a person who stutters, he has been part of the National Stuttering Association since 2011. Dustin is 3 years sober as of March 28th 2026. He never thought his soberity and stutter would link up to help others. He is leading the sober check-in on Thursday, July 2nd and Saturday. We can have fun without a drink. Dustin found the joy of scuba 2 yrs ago and spends his old alcohol money on scuba trips and gear. Next