In this episode, the fathers of two young men who stutter, Bob Rafferty and Dan Quinn, discuss their sons' experiences and resilience in managing their speech challenges. Brian Nolan, also a father of two sons who stutter, shares his own journey as a parent and a lifelong stutterer, and why he became an advocate later in life. What's extra special here is that Bob and Dan are the fathers of Kevin Rafferty and Conor Quinn, two Board members of the Stuttering Springboard who are changing the perception of stuttering and what it feels like to be a person who stutters.

The message from the dads: "let them". Let them be them. Don't try and fix your children. Help them build confidence by focusing on what they do well.

Welcome back Kevin. Since we last spoke Kevin's career has taken off, both in the profit and nonprofit world. In business, Kevin's journey as a wealth manager with GVA Wealth Management has taken off. Brian now uses Kevin as well and says that "nobody will work harder for you than Kevin". In the nonprofit world, Kevin is the Treasurer of The Stuttering Springboard, the new organization that was formerly known as The Noan Stuttering Foundation (listen to the podcast for more details!). Kevin explains his professional journey, through college, internships and his new level of acceptance of his stutter. His advice: disclose, disclose, disclose. It will change your world. Enjoy the podcast!

There is a lot of silence around stuttering. Many of us who stutter spent years running from it and doing everything possible to hide it… to “not be found out”. It was the stigma, how people think about people who stutter, that forced us into hiding. So, we don’t talk, we switch words and avoidance becomes our operating system. With some of us, like Pat Festa, our guest today, the light bulb goes off; the realization that we have to become activists for people who stutter, to educate the world about what it means to be a person who stutters in a fluent world. Pat is our neighbor, from Collegeville, just a few towns over. The beauty of this experience is that Pat, a young adult who stutters, found us, because we at the Nolan Stuttering Foundation have decided to stop hiding and to start educating the world. Pat is doing some exciting things. He is a teacher, an actor and about to launch a new program called “Stutter4You”. I’m joined by Pat and my associate John McDermott. John is on the Board of NSF as well as a Master Sergeant in the US Air force. Enjoy the podcast!

Meet Aidan Marchall-Cort: Co-Chapter Leader of the National Stuttering Association's DC Chapter and the Young Adult Committee Chair for the entire organization. Aidan is also founder of the support group/interview series called Manifest - a community and space for black men who stutter. This is a podcast that should provide hope for all young people who stutter as Aiden is proudly leading the way in educating the community on what it means to be a person who stutters. He is also speaking to classes of speech and language pathology students, addressing the trauma associated with stuttering and defining what he calls “Reverse Shame”. Enjoy the podcast!

U.S. and Irish participants unite in Ireland for cultural immersion, leadership training, and a celebration of stuttering pride.

The inaugural Clonakilty Stuttering Leadership Exchange brought together 17 young adults who stutter from the United States and Ireland for a groundbreaking program promoting personal growth, acceptance, and leadership development.

From August 1–8, 2025, participants traveled from Philadelphia to Ireland, where they immersed themselves in the country’s rich culture, sports, and history, while engaging in transformative leadership workshops and team-building activities. The program’s mission extended beyond cultural exchange—its goal was to identify and equip future leaders who happen to stutter with the tools, confidence, and vision to make a difference in their communities.

Take a listen as members of the trip share lessons learned the amazing express they shared together!

Meet Jake Sniras, a recent graduate of Garnet Valley High School in Glen Mills, PA and incoming Freshman at Wilkes College. Jake was the leading boys scorer in Basketball at Garnet Valley and will be joining the Wilkes College basketball team. Brian had the privilege of recently traveling to Ireland with Jake as part of the Clonakilty Stuttering Leadership Exchange. This podcast spans two timeframes: the day before Jake left for Wilkes and three weeks into his college life. We explore the leadership lessons he learned as part of the leadership program, his anticipation of college and then in part two, Jake shares the reality of college life, as a young person who stutters. Over the last several years Brian has watched Jake mature into a wonderful young man and he is confident that Jake will be one of our great future leaders!

Kyle Pelkey is a Speech and language pathologist at the Chmela Communication Center in Illinois. Kyle is also a person who stutters. In this deeply educational podcast, Kyle joins the Stuttering Springboard Career Peer Group to talk about how the brain governs our reaction to our stutter. In technical terms, it’s the neuroscience behind emotional reactivity (ie: stress responses). The group discusses the power of mindfulness and pseudo stuttering to control how we think about stuttering.

Kyle is forever grateful for the relationship with his mentor Kristin Chmela, Owner and Director of Chmela Communication Center and a leader in the field of stuttering therapy.

William (Bill) Peters is a Denver-based writer, father, and advocate whose life has been shaped by the quiet, persistent challenge of stuttering. A lifelong stutterer himself, William understands the deep emotional terrain of being misunderstood-not for what one thinks, but for how one speaks. This silent struggle, paired with experiences of depression and PTSD, has only fueled his resilience and sense of purpose. With a Master's degree in Psychology and a longstanding career serving people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, William has dedicated himself to empowering others, especially those who have been underestimated or overlooked. He is also the proud father of a son who stutters, which gives his work even deeper personal meaning.

Bill is the author of the book, “On the Mound A Rookie’s Triumph in Baseball Verse”, which is another view of Ernest Thayer's 1888 poem “Casey at the Bat” In this emotional podcast, Bill talks about the importance of getting in the game of life; about putting yourself out there despite your stutter. It is a deep look into fatherhood and growing up as a person who stutters. Enjoy the listen!