Interview with a Dreamchaser

Julius Ahenkora is an aerospace software engineer with a stutter that doesn't stop his aspirations as a public speaker.

Tell me about a time you had to start over, or a dream you accomplished.

I almost let the fear of stuttering derail my career and my life overall. I’ve always battled with the disorder but when I went to college, I really had to make myself vulnerable in order to present in front of a large auditorium of people. The embarrassment and shame caused me to skip most of my presentations and as a result I failed my freshman year, and the stress caused me to drop out of school. I worked on my speech confidence through Toastmasters and was able to come back the next year and eventually complete my degree in software engineering. I work for an aerospace company that furthers space innovation and is letting us peer deeper into the mysteries of space than ever before! Astronomy has always been a passion of mine so it’s a dream come true to work in this industry.

What’s your #1 Hustle Tip?

Never let anyone tell you what you should be, not even those closest to you. It’s your life, make it something your proud of. At the end of the day we’re all going to meet the same fate so might as well make your life something you can look back on with pride! Screw the mistakes, no one will remember any of them anyway. They’ll only remember your success!

What big hurdle did you overcome to reach your goal?

Stuttering and a general sense of shame, fear and guilt due to my upbringing and the ideas I chose to believe well into adulthood.

What’s the main lesson you learned?

Unlearn... Unlearn... Unlearn! We’re so busy trying to collect as much information as we can to accomplish our goals that we rarely think about all the ideas/thoughts/perceptions that exist in our minds that are truly holding us back. If I could talk to my younger self, I would tell him to let go of all the doubts and insecurities.

Do you have another goal or dream?

Yes! Besides working on my dream career as a software engineer, I want to eventually become the president of the NSA (National Stuttering Association) and give back to the stuttering community. I want to further destigmatize stuttering, and all the negative perceptions people still hold regarding the disorder. 

What’s your advice for someone who’s starting over, or wants to achieve a dream?

“Memento Mori – You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” Not matter how many times you fail, get back up and try again. Noone will remember the failures as much as they will remember when you finally succeed. When the end is near, look back on your life with joy. The joy that nothing held you back, the joy that you lived a life with no regrets. This is ultimately what life is all about. No matter what your passion are in life, get after it!