Annie Glenn

Annie Glenn (Mike Lynaugh Photography (Mike Lynaugh))

Have you ever felt as though you couldn't get the words out that you wanted to say? Imagine having that feeling 85% of the time you were trying to talk. That's the way it was for Annie Glenn. She was born Anna Margaret Castor on February 17, 1920 in Columbus, Ohio. She grew up best friends with John Glenn, who became her high-school sweetheart and later her husband. Annie struggled with stuttering her whole life. Nearly 85% of her words were stuttered. Annie Glenn set an example for people with disabilities because she stayed determined, was willing to learn, and therefore overcame her speech impediment.

Annie wanted desperately to be able to talk normally. Most stutterers feel very frustrated when trying to communicate. Often they will interject sounds or words like "uh." Other stutterers make long pauses in their sentences. To uphold her position in the family, she needed to be able to communicate with her children, husband, and other relatives and friends. Annie tried every program that was known to the Earth to try to stop her stuttering problem.

Throughout her life, Annie was constantly searching for a way to overcome her disability. She was willing to try whatever program or treatment came her way. Many people claimed to have "the one that really works", but nothing worked for her. When Annie finally found the treatment that worked for her, she began to give speeches about her achievement. She wanted to encourage others to keep trying, whatever their disability may be. Today, there is an award for those who have acquired distinction despite a communicative disorder. If they remain determined, they can be nominated to receive the Annie Glenn Award.

Even though Annie had a major challenge with communicating, she had the right resources in her life to overcome her disability. She was lucky enough to have a loving family that supported her despite her inability to communicate like the rest of them. Her husband John knew from the time they were little that Annie had a good heart. Annie and John had two children: David in 1945, and Carolyn in 1947. Annie's disability caused it to be very challenging for her to communicate with people. She couldn't just pick up the phone to chat with someone, or even hail a taxi. Her lack of communicative ability was a big inconvenience when her husband John was in the military, and she had to travel across the country and to Guam to visit him with her two kids. Annie had been determined to overcome stuttering her entire life, but nothing helped. When she was 53 years old, she and John discovered a new program that required her to go through an intensive treatment for three weeks. Annie was finally able to communicate after undergoing the treatment.

Annie Glenn was passionate enough about her cause that she was able to overcome a very challenging disability. She tried many things before finding the treatment she was looking for. When she got over stuttering, she used it to her full advantage, giving inspiring speeches and starting the Annie Glenn Award. Annie Glenn is a role model for those with any sort of disability because she stayed determined, was willing to learn, and therefore overcame her speech impediment. Annie Glenn is a hero because she has an inspiring story and set an example for people who have major or minor problems in their lives.