“My parents put me in speech therapy. But as a stutterer, I had trouble even saying my name. In school, I would always miss the first two days so I wouldn’t have to introduce myself. In grade school, the thought of having to read out loud was terrifying. When it was almost my turn, I would get up to go use the restroom. There were bullies who teased me. They would call me Porky Pig or Mel Tillis. So I chose not to speak.

“As I got older and became involved in drama in school, I would play different characters. And these characters did not stutter. That really puzzled my drama coach, my doctor and my speech therapist. When I was not acting in a play, my speech was regular Pedro horrible. But when I was on stage, I just hit it. There was no stuttering whatsoever. It was so much fun. I could not wait to go to school. I loved doing the plays. Because when I did that, I wasn’t myself. I was someone else.”

— Pedro Pena

Check out Pedro’s YouTube channel, My Stuttering Life.

Related:

• There’s no ‘magic pill’ for someone who stutters
• He reaches out to help through ‘My Stuttering Life’

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“When I started here, I met a veteran who was 100 percent disabled. About 80 percent of his disability was PTSD. Doctors had told him that his injuries and mental issues were so severe that he shouldn’t expect to be successful in school. Nobody really expected him to even pass his classes.

“At that time, he was really struggling. But he really wanted that degree. So I sat down with him with the goal of helping him fit all the pieces together. I changed his degree plan. I reduced the number of classes he was taking. I gave him a job working here at the Veterans Center to monitor him and make sure he had all the help he needed.

“About two years ago, he graduated from University of Houston-Clear Lake with his bachelor’s degree. He’s in Germany right now with his wife and kids, starting a whole new life for himself and his family.

The post Center offers guidance for military veterans appeared first on The Baytown Project.