The most challenging stuttering experience I faced was between the ages of 5 and 10. Kids would laugh at me both in school and outside of it. They also verbally bullied me about my stuttering, and sometimes even physically pushed me around because of it. As a child, my stuttering was severe. It continued to be a struggle during my teenage years. However, I learned to speak a bit better and found ways to cope. I was fortunate to have a few good friends who were understanding, and I felt more comfortable talking around them. As an adult, the worst situation occurred at my job. We use a time card system to clock in and out, but this year, the time clock has been malfunctioning. My boss informed all employees to notify her personally when we clock in and out, as well as when we take lunch breaks, until the clock is fixed. Unfortunately, it took over 2 to 3 months for the clock to be repaired. I never told my boss to clock me in and out due to my fear of stuttering in front of her. I rarely spoke to her; I mostly listened, did my job, and went home. Most of my coworkers don’t realize I stutter; they just perceive me as a shy person who doesn’t talk much. As a result, I lost over $4,000 by not informing my boss to clock me in and out. Eventually, she noticed I hadn’t been clocking in and out and realized I had been working for free for 2 to 3 months. She suggested I request a meeting with HR and payroll to recover the money I lost, but I declined the meeting because I didn’t want to stutter in front of the higher-ups at my job. I told my boss I was fine, and she looked shocked that I didn’t want to attend the meeting to get my lost wages back. I insisted I was okay, and she ended up giving me a timesheet to submit to her every Monday after our conversation. I’m grateful she provided me with that timesheet. Now, I remain quiet. I’ve lost thousands of dollars due to my stutter, but this year, I’m committed to practicing and overcoming my stutter by 95%. There’s a man who wrote a book and has been blessed to help people who stutter less. I’ve been stuttering for 25 years, and I’m exhausted from it. I can’t keep losing money and new opportunities because of my stuttering. This year and other years to come I will improve. I will become a better speaker 95%