Stillfone Stroud: Momentum After Declaring Choice

Stillfone Stroud is full of intent. There’s natural rhythm in the way he speaks about his life: the music he makes, habits he keeps, goals he holds close by. Motivation, for him, is common practice. For others, it may be fleeting sparks.

When Stillfone joined Easterseals Midwest in 2016, he was carrying a clear want and a few hard lessons. He wanted work. Actual work. His own money, a way to budget, a way to plan… to stay consistent. Earlier setbacks around workplace boundaries hadn’t dimmed that desire, only sharpened it. He knew exactly what he wanted next, even if the path hadn’t been mapped just yet.

Then, the work began. In 2018, Stillfone joined Pre-Employment Services, focusing on job readiness and social skills, with added behavior therapy support. The days were filled up with practice - from interviews rehearsed to questions asked and answered again to routines shaped until they held more sturdy. His team noticed something important: when supported with both clarity and a consistent attitude, Stillfone was able to advance instead of stall.

“Stillfone is very ambitious,” says Tasha Howard from Employment & Community Living. “If he has the support, he will ask questions and do things until they get done the correct way.”

Motivation came from structure, and progress was not far behind. By 2021, he was ready to say it out loud: he wanted to earn his own money and live with increased independence. His teams listened and moved right with him. And together, they searched for jobs that matched his interests, practiced interviews, and showed up day after day. In February 2022, he was hired at McDonald’s.

“I felt proud,” Stillfone says. “I was happy and really ready to work.”

He started with just two days a week, but it didn’t stay that way for long. Within a month, his supervisor noticed the effort and consistency, which resulted in added hours. What started as a faint grasp slowly became momentum.

Alongside employment came something else. Stillfone learned to communicate more precisely, respect boundaries, and build positive relationships with coworkers, peers, and his support team. He learned to advocate for himself and to speak up. To ask for change when it mattered.

“Overall,” says Jennifer Jordan-Hatten, Community Living Director, “he’s just doing well. Striving to be more independent.”

Stillfone would probably tell you it’s not complicated. Look forward. Keep chasing what you want. Ask questions and show up. Time and time again.

A steady walk can work.