Sree Lakkamraju ’25 is Changing the Conversation on Tourette Syndrome

Sree Lakkamraju ’25 carries herself with quiet confidence. But her voice takes on a new intensity when she speaks about her journey from a long-overdue diagnosis to lobbying on Capitol Hill.

Two years ago, after doctors repeatedly dismissed her tics as allergies, excessive screen time and other unrelated issues, Lakkamraju received confirmation that she had Tourette Syndrome. The diagnosis brought clarity to years of uncertainty.

“It was this missing puzzle piece,” she recalled.

Within months of her diagnosis, Lakkamraju channeled her experience into advocacy, becoming a youth ambassador for the Tourette Association of America, the only national organization dedicated to serving people with Tourette Syndrome and other tic disorders. She also joined the youth council for the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome (NJCTS).

In March 2024, her advocacy led her to Capitol Hill for the Tourette Association’s National Advocacy Day. There, she met with Rep. Tom Kean Jr., Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman and staff from Senator Cory Booker’s office, advocating for the Safe Step Act, which would prevent insurance companies from requiring patients to try and fail on lower-cost medications before covering prescribed treatments.

“They were super welcoming,” she said of the officials. “They took the time to get to know us, really hear what we had to say and listen to our experiences.”

Daily life with Tourette Syndrome presents its challenges. At Peddie, Lakkamraju benefits from smaller classes and supportive teachers, but managing symptoms requires constant effort. “Trying to focus on calculus while also controlling my breathing, keeping my eyes from darting, making sure my neck isn’t moving; It’s insane,” she said. During particularly difficult periods, when stress intensifies her tics, she sometimes needs to visit the Health Center. “People wonder why I wasn’t at a Spanish quiz. It’s like, because I literally could not stop ticking,” Lakkamraju said.

A turning point in her Peddie journey came when a teacher encouraged her to enter the Reeves Speaking Contest, and Lakkamraju chose to share her experience with Tourette Syndrome. She made it to the finals. “It was the first time I acknowledged it at Peddie. I was really scared to talk about it, but my teacher said, ‘You need to take this and turn it into something positive,’” she recalled.

The community’s response touched her deeply. “There were people I didn’t know coming up to me. Some teachers said, ‘Thank you for sharing your story.’ That made me really happy,” Lakkamraju said.

Through her advocacy work, Lakkamraju frequently addresses misconceptions about Tourette Syndrome. “People usually assume one person’s symptoms are universal, but that’s not true. It differs for everybody. For me, it might be tapping my hand or my eyes wandering around,” she said.

She recalled an encounter highlighting common misunderstandings: “They said, ‘Oh my god, you have Tourettes? Do something crazy. Why aren’t you screaming? Why aren’t you being crazy?’”

In addressing such misconceptions, Lakkamraju emphasized patience. “(I) don’t get defensive when trying to address these things because people usually aren’t intentionally trying to be rude,” she said.
Media portrayals, she said, only add to the stigma. “The media likes to publicize ‘crazy stuff.’ It looks better on TV. They don’t realize that tic disorders are also really subtle stuff.”

Lakkamraju’s experiences have also shaped her career aspirations. This fall, she’ll attend New York University to study communicative sciences and disorders, though she hasn’t ruled out pre-med. As she prepares for the next chapter, she hopes her advocacy continues to shift perceptions.

“I hope I can help people see Tourette Syndrome for what it is — a part of life, not a limitation,” she said.