The Power of Voice: Randolph grad opens up about challenges of overcoming stuttering

卡尔·科菲11岁

About 80 percent of children who stutter at some time during their development become fluent speakers.

卡尔·科菲11岁 is focused on the 20 percent who, like him, grow up to be adults who stutter. 

“I didn’t really know anyone  who stuttered that I could look up to as a role model when I was a kid, so now I want to be as open about it as I can,他说. “As I’ve become older, I’m a lot more comfortable. 这只是我的一部分.” 

科菲, 在365亚洲版主修心理学的人, 使用社交媒体, 尤其是LinkedIn, to connect with other people who stutter.

He shares links to raise awareness and start conversations; one recent post linked to a story about retired football player and media personality Shannon Sharpe discussing his own speech impediment. 

“It’s been really cool for me as I’ve posted these things and been more open about it. I have connected with a lot of other people who have never really talked about their stutter,科菲说. “There are so many platforms that are allowing people to have that conversation, to really find their own voice and talk about it.” 

In 2023, 科菲 partnered with the National Stuttering Association to produce a video series discussing his career journey. 叫做全面披露, it featured topics ranging from how to disclose your stutter, 请求住宿, and handling discrimination in the workplace to networking, 谈判, 接受一份工作. 

“It is one of those disabilities where there’s not a lot of public understanding,他说. “人们仍然认为, 如果你口吃, it’s just because you’re nervous or unsure of what you want to say. It’s about being able to raise awareness to say, ‘嘿, it is a neurological condition. While there are some days you may not notice it as much, I still am a person who stutters.’”

科菲 spent most of his younger years as what’s referred to as a covert stutterer—someone who tries to mask their condition. 

“I was uncomfortable talking about it and acknowledging it,他说. “I was a really outgoing kid, and I tried my best to make people laugh. I wanted to take the attention off of me and my stutter.” 

His parents were always supportive, encouraging him to push through any challenges. 

“My dad told me something that I take to heart,” 科菲 remembered. ”他说, ‘嘿, 每个人都有自己的事, something they either are not comfortable with acknowledging or that they’re self conscious about. With you, it’s the fact that you stutter. 这就是你的风格. You have to find a way to be OK with it and know you can still live a good life.’” 

It would take 科菲 years to get to that point. 

He continued to hide his stutter as a student at Randolph, where he was part of the College’s first coed class. 

活跃的学生, he served as Student Government president and publicity coordinator for the Black Leaders Association, while also competing on the tennis and cross-country teams. 

“A lot of people would say they had no idea I stuttered,他说. “My response to that was, ‘I know, because I purposely tried to hide it.’ So even when I was in college, I didn’t know how to talk about it.” 

科菲 took speech therapy from kindergarten through his senior year of high school, 成年后又回到了那里, 对他来说是个转折点. 

“I was in a job where I had to present in a lot of meetings,科菲说。, 谁在金融服务业工作过, 医疗业务, and consulting since graduating from the College. “I wanted to feel more confident in portraying my thoughts and not feeling like I was being held back. I tried to find comfort in knowing this is something that is clearly not going away, but it didn’t have to be a deal breaker. 这就是我说话的方式.” 

Currently living in Bowling Green, Kentucky, he remains connected to the College. He recently returned to campus to speak to students as part of National Disability Awareness Month, talking about equal employment opportunities and promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

科菲 also joined the Board of Trustees in 2022 as its youngest elected member. 

“It is a really incredible experience to have this full circle moment,他说. “I was very involved as a student, so I had agood opportunity to interact with the Board of Trustees as president of Student Government. It’s been awesome to come back to help the College and support students in this capacity.” 

For 科菲, it’s about giving back to a place that gave him so much.

“Randolph is a place where you don’t just blend into the background,科菲说. “You’re deeply embedded into a community where you matter, 你的贡献很有价值, 你塑造了文化, 你要负责任, 你留下你的印记. It’s a place where I found the power of my voice, and I’m forever grateful for that.”