Hey there. I was in your situation earlier on in high school. It's really challenging and the fear of stuttering and your own thoughts after it happens can often be more painful than the experience itself. I am really glad that you are motivated to not let it put you down. Consider going to local [meetups about a topic you're interested in.](https://www.meetup.com/) It's a great way to meet new people and enjoy it at the same time. Meetups are also low risk because if you don't like the group, there's no pressure to continue or you can find a new meet up group. Are you considering going to college? Take that bold first step to join an organization and even the speech and debate team. When I was in HS, I joined speech & debate because it gave me access to the coach. If anything, I would become a better speaker even if I sucked. You don't have to do debate, I did extemporaneous because you can control your own pace. Any coworkers and spaces that force you to interact? You can start small by asking them a question (Hey! Have you seen this movie? I heard it was good.) to break the ice and spark a new friendship. Hey man. You can do this. I want you to **remember you small success** because there are times when I feel terrible for stuttering over the simplest things (my fucking name) at crucial moments. But I've come a long way and so will you.