While it may be a shock to people that I've encountered in my past and obvious to ones I know now: I stutter. I can either have the smoothest lines, attempt to say something but not come out (also known as blocking), or repeat the beginning of word a few times before finishing my sentence.

There are two types of stuttering: Overt and Covert. Covert Stuttering is when there are few signs of speech disruptions or behaviors that are usually identified with stuttering. Overt Stuttering is more obvious and easily detectable. My stutter developed when I was about eight years old, seemed to have went away on its own shortly after and reappeared in my Freshman Year at St. Mary's University.

At first, I did not how I developed an overt stutter that is the most prominent during phone calls. It actually took me a while to realize that I had a covert stutter this whole time and was using techniques to cope with it. Before making a phone call, I thought about what to say beforehand. I also had to think of a greeting to say before voicing it.

It has taken me a few months to manage my stuttering but it has been worth it. Yet, there has been a few setbacks. I also realized how people that stutter are treated and that some people are embarrassed by hearing others stutter. That realization shattered my initial perception of how a stutter would not impact my likeability to my peers. How no would thought "She needs to spit it out already" or cringed when I struggled to say a word. I am not embarrassed by something I cannot control and for damn sure not you to be embarrassed for me.

My intelligence should not be measured by how much I stutter either. I may be answer the least amount of questions or take longer to answer questions but it is not because I am unsure of myself. I can sometimes hear snickers when I answer questions but get the last laugh when theirs are wrong.

As I had stated before, I also did not always stutter. My relationship with my stutter has had twists and turns but, I accept them at full value