Our unique and uplifting mentorship program provides participants of all ages a sense of purpose and belonging. Through weekly peer-to-peer support, developing collaborative advocacy projects, exploring leadership opportunities, and discovering increased self-confidence and compassion along the way, participants are provided with the opportunity to take what they have learned through our daily and intensive CARE and ‘pay-it-forward.’
My name is John Sarik and while I’ve been a participant at the Blank Center since 2021, I participated in the Pay-it-Forward program during the Spring 2023 semester. I am an electrical engineer, a parent, and a person who stutters. To me, “ Dream. Speak. Live. ” means setting myself up for success by focusing on communication instead of fluency.
About John’s Project
As an Austin International School District (ISD) parent and as a person who stutters, John wanted to explore how AISD supports students who stutter, their families, and their teachers. After learning that a search on AISD’s website for “stuttering,” leads to zero results, John aimed to highlight the work both the AISD and the Blank Center do to support students who stutter, in addition to ensuring that appropriate resources are available to anyone who may need them.I wanted to learn how AISD supports students who stutter, their families, and their teachers. Right now, if you search AISD’s website for “stuttering” there are zero results.
Click the links below to view public resources available that highlight the work AISD and the Blank Center are doing to support students who stutter.
