Support is the Key to Solving Problems by Steven

Support is the Key to Solving Problems by Steven - June 2016 Scholarship Essay

Speech impediments often affect more than just the words you say and how you say them. For me, my speech impediment made me afraid to speak up in class and always had me falling behind because I would leave class for speech therapy. Although it has been years since I was able to overcome my personal speaking issues, the impact that experience has had on me will last forever.
As a young student, all you want to do is find some friends and fit in. That felt like an impossible challenge for me because once a week I would leave class to work with my speech therapist. Even though she was an incredible woman, I hated my time with her because I always felt like everyone was watching me when I would leave and come back from my therapy sessions. Eventually, she was able to help me understand that without the therapy I would likely struggle with my speech for a long time. After that moment, I was able to fully engage in her therapy games and work hard to overcome my difficulty speaking. There were still tears shed when I would come back to class late and not know what was going on but after countless weeks of work I was finally able to speak normally. This allowed me to be more confident in class and it encouraged me to work harder because I knew that something that seems natural can be really difficult for someone else.
The lasting impact that this has had on me is simply to be more compassionate and understanding when someone has a problem with what at first appears to be a simple issue. If someone is slow at math, let them take their time and do it right. If someone is afraid of public speaking, remember that it might be due to something much larger than just stage fright. By encouraging others to work towards their goals at their own pace and in their own way you become a source of support for them, much like my therapist was for me. No matter what the problem is we need to be willing to see it from the other person’s perspective and understand that support is the key to solving problems.