This month’s Spotlight of the Month honors Yadira Hernandez!
Yadira is a 22 year old person who stutters with a burning passion for dance. Since she joined the drill team in high school she has grown an immense love and dedication for it. Her most precious gift is her family and there is no better way to spend her weekends than with them. “They are my backbone and number one supporters”, she says. As for her professional endeavors, Yadira is pursuing her dream job of becoming a neonatal nurse. She is currently earning her degree at Northlake Community College and hopes to transfer to Texas Women’s University by next year. She has the traveling bug too, and thanks to the NSA she will be able to continue to travel.
Yadira joined the Dallas Chapter of the National Stuttering Association late 2014, and recalls “I was terrified of going to my first meeting! I pushed going to my first meeting for months.” After summoning up the courage, with her father in one hand and her speech therapist in the other, she attended her first chapter meeting. She remembers feeling overwhelmed, and unsure of how to react to all the new members she met that stuttered. “I’ve never been on the other side”, she says. “I finally knew what it felt like for people to hear me stutter”. Not missing a beat, the following year Yadira attended her first NSA conference and she has been unstoppable since. Her view on stuttering has drastically changed since coming back from the conference. Yadira is grateful god put the NSA group in her life because it has allowed her to meet many great people she will always cherish. “My stuttering has made me who I am and I would never change that”, Yadira says. “I just want the courage to be okay with my stuttering and not rush myself when ordering food”.
Next time you see Yadira, ask her about her very first NSA conference in Baltimore and what she would like to see at next year’s conference right here in Dallas!