I have had a speech impediment for as long as I can remember, and it has always been a point of discomfort. I used to dread public speaking and abhorred doing presentations in school, scared my classmates would mock me, or think I was peculiar for not being able to speak like everyone else. In elementary school, I attended speech therapy classes, and although it helped, the improvements were inconsequential, and my speech was still not up to par. Throughout middle school and the majority of high school, I have hated meeting new people, for fear they would deride me for the way I spoke. Conversing with anyone terrified me, even my family and friends. Instead, I kept quiet while spending time with my close friends, anxious they would come to
