About Stephen

My story is complex but simple. I have faced many difficult challenges and obstacles just like others. A very dark period for me was my late teens. I was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at age 9, parents divorced at age 12, barely graduated high school, and was told I would not amount to anything in life. I felt as if there was no hope for a Black kid from Detroit, especially one with a disability. I was not qualified to go to college and honestly had no motivation to live. One evening at age 18, I was sitting in my room with my dad’s fully loaded gun that he gave me before going to dinner. I can still hear his voice warning me about our lives being in danger and prepare to aim and shoot if I wanted to live. At one point that evening, I held the gun to my head and thought pulling the trigger was my only option. It was at that moment in time my eyes were enlightened to a greater purpose and I gave myself  “permission” to be somebody great, despite what others believed. 

I was prescribed strong medications as a child to calm my vocal and motor tics, but the drugs left me feeling tired and sluggish. By age 15, I chose to stop taking the medications in order to pursue my dreams of flying planes and one day becoming an astronaut. Although my teenage years left me with moments of severe depression and thoughts of suicide, I pushed through the obstacles that were in front of me. I enrolled in the community college and finally was accepted to attend Western Michigan University. In January 1997, after one semester away at college, I enlisted in the United States Air Force. I had no idea how this crazy plan of mine would turn out but shortly after enlisting I was off to bootcamp in Texas. By May 1997, I was at my first military base in Italy. My trajectory in life had been radically transformed. I felt empowered to succeed, I realized my full potential, and believed in the infinite opportunities that were in my future. The little kid before that had no hope, I was now somebody important, confident, and unstoppable in achieving my dreams. 

In 2000, I was one of the top recipients in the Air Force to receive a full ride ROTC scholarship to become an Air Force military officer. This led to my graduation in 2002 as an honor graduate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the number one aviation university in the world. My path to becoming a military pilot was so close yet so far away. In late November 2002, just three weeks before commissioning as a Second Lieutenant, my commander informed me that I was being medically discharged due to positive blood work that showed potential cancer. My heart was shattered and broken into pieces because I dedicated so much effort and time into achieving my dream but now it was impossible. December 14, 2002, I walked across the stage in my cap and gown as a civilian and a proud Air Force veteran decorated with many military honors to include the Kosovo Campaign Medal from my time served during the Kosovo War.   

“I love when doors close. It does not feel good at the moment but in my experience, the door that opens has always been the greater opportunity” 

January 2003, a door opened unexpectedly and to this day it’s still hard to believe. My previous base commander called with me an opportunity of a lifetime. Within one day, I packed my bags, drove 14 hours to Florida, and the rest is history. In March 2003, I was sworn in as an Air Force civilian and officially worked for the Department of Defense. My salary, well let’s just say it was two pay grades higher than what I would have been as a Second Lieutenant. Since then I have lived a miracle mentality life and my accomplishments have surpassed the opinions of high school teachers. I received my Masters degree with top honors from the College of William and Mary; post graduate studies at Georgetown University; authored the book “The Tyrannosaurus Tic: A boy's adventures with Tourette Syndrome; worked for the U.S. Senate; and in 2019 received a permanent appointment to the U.S. Congress' Library of Congress. From my first time flying a plane as a student pilot to being able to speak multiple languages or the time I was invited to speak to the Vice President of the Republic of Suriname about Tourette syndrome in, my former impossible is now a reality.  

Presently, I am the first Black American research analyst to lead the Military Space, Missile Defense and Defense Innovation portfolio for the U.S. Congress' research service in the Foreign Affairs; Defense and Trade Division. Taking on this role afforded me the chance to be one of the only non-partisan space policy experts in the nation to provide authoritative analysis on foreign and domestic space issues to Members of Congress and their staff. In my free-time, I am a playwright, national and international keynote speaker featured in the NY Times, CNN and various magazines, and last and most important a single father by choice and an adopted dad for two smart and talented boys.

As a former National Board Member and chairman for the diversity committee of the Tourette Association of America, one of my goals is to spread awareness about Tourette syndrome to underserved and multicultural communities. My ultimate goal is community service, and education via motivational speaking engagements. With a stage musical and national tour in the works, I plan to entertain by sharing my story in order to give hope and prevent anyone contemplating taking their life, leaving the audience uplifted and inspired. As stated, "I almost lost my life to teen suicide but I survived and I am determined to reach teenagers and people all over the world to show them that they can not only survive, but they can live out their dreams, beyond their imagination."