Megan Goes Beyond Stammering To Pursue Her Dream Career

My life has completely changed for the better, and I’m starting my dream career as a mental health nurse.

My first course was in August 2010 but to be really honest my McGuire journey didn’t begin until 2017

I really struggled with accepting that I had a stammer, even after my first course, it wasn’t until several years later when I had truly reached rock bottom that I realised this wasn’t the way I wanted my life to be. I look back and I feel so sad for the girl I used to be.

So I came back. And I thank myself every day for it. I came back to intensive courses, and really challenged myself in every split session, I knew what I wanted this time, and I wasn’t going to settle. I joined toastmasters, I read in church, I’ve done a radio interview and I’ve recently become a coach.

But most of all I have made up for so much lost time. Recently both of my grandparents took ill. The old Megan would have loved to have been there for every moment. But what if someone asked me a question? What if someone asked me my name or my partner’s name? What if someone asked me the time and I couldn’t say the answer? I would have avoided the most important moments in my grandparents’ lives. Thankfully this was not the case, my granda who recently passed away, loved telling my story to every person who came into the house. He was so proud that I was able to read at his funeral. Which is genuinely still unbelievable to me. I am so thankful to myself that I was able to make someone proud of something I’ve felt shame about for so long.

My life has completely changed for the better, and I’m starting my dream career in September as a mental health nurse.

Something which would have been impossible a couple of years ago. I cannot thank this programme enough. 

Megan Gribben, IRELAND