Jake Spearin

Jake Spearin

Fayetteville, West Virginia

Liz: “What is your greatest accomplishment so far?”

Jake: “Hm. I'm gonna have to say that it would be that I am able to hold down a job, and not let my speech impediment get the better of me. Despite the days where I felt like just giving up.”

L: “That's a excellent accomplishment. What would you say is your greatest fear?”

J: “Speaking in public, most definitely.”

L: “Is that something you have to deal with often?”

J: “No, it's not. It's also not something I actively try to do, though.”

L: “What is one of the funniest/most idiotic responses who have heard in response to your stutter?”

J: “Probably the typical ‘Slow down,’ ‘Take a deep breath,’ ‘Think about what you want to say.’I was once called ‘Waterboy,’ if you've ever seen that movie.”

L: “What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?”

J: “That I should stand up for myself if I feel I am being mistreated for my impediment. I shouldn't be treated differently just because I'm ‘not like the rest.’”

L: “What is something you want people to know about your stutter?”

J: “That this has made me a better person, a more understanding and caring person because of it. I know what it's like to be different than others, to be laughed at and ridiculed, and that's not something I can do to others.”

Keep calm and stutter on!