Brett Cunningham!
Brett is a 25 year old person who stutters, born in Waxahachie, Texas. He lived there until around the age of 7, until his mother married and they moved a few miles down the road to Ennis, Texas. His family expanded by one step-sister and one step-brother shortly after. Brett works manufacturing aerosol products at Sherwin Williams, but when he’s not there you can find him either out on the lake or up in a treestand. Brett’s hobbies include reading, hanging out with friends and family, and participating in numerous outdoor activities like hunting and fishing. He loves learning about wildlife and the great minds of the past like C.S. Lewis, Isaac Newton, and Gandhi. Brett hopes to one day be a public speaker so he can teach others what he has learned throughout his life.
Brett began stuttering at the age of 5 and only recently found the NSA in June of this year. When he was growing up, his mother suggested speech therapy but he declined because he believed it didn’t really have much of an effect on him. After high school however, his speech increased in severity, and he came to the NSA hoping to change his perspective on the way he talked. Since joining, his outlook on stuttering and other struggles in life has greatly improved. He has learned that avoiding the circumstances that life sometimes throws our way never helps, and embracing those difficult times can lead to wisdom and greater mental strength. The one piece of advice that Brett has for those who are going through a rough patch is “It’s okay to be afraid. If there was no fear, then there could be no courage. Accept that you’re scared and move forward anyway!”
Next time you see Brett, ask him about the Law of Gravity!