I am an eager advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. Born in 1977 on the University of Wisconsin " Madison campus, I am the oldest of four children in the Egan family. For over a decade I have been a clerk in the Distribution Center at Booz Allen and Hamilton in McLean, Virginia, where I am treated as a full staff member with all of the related benefits and expectations. You can watch a video of my work filmed by NDSS (LAUNCH: Careers for People with Down Syndrome on YouTube). My CEO believes in inclusion, human dignity and employing people with disabilities. He says: "It is good for the individual, the company and the society at large."' I was selected as the first ever Board Member of the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia (there are two of us right now). I also serve as a Board Member of Special Olympics Virginia and I am an honorary member of the Parents of Exceptional Children (POEC). While I work during the day and keep busy with community activities, I also love athletics and enjoy competing in soccer, basketball, softball, swimming (specializing in the 100-meter individual medley), and even speed skating when I was younger. However, my current dream and passion is to win the hearts and open the minds of many, advocating for inclusion, dignity and respect in all aspects of life at the local, national and international levels. I have received numerous awards such as the Heroes Award from Special Olympics International (2002), the Voices Award from the National Down Syndrome Society (2003) in New York City, the Virginia H. Foster Winning Spirit Award from Special Olympics Virginia (2006) and the Dan Piper Award from the National Down Syndrome Society in Vancouver, Canada (2006) at the 9th World Down Syndrome Congress. I am thankful for being a naturally gifted communicator both in casual conversations and in more formal speaking engagements such as an invited keynote speaker at the National Down Syndrome Society conference in Washington, D.C. (2002), the World Congress held in Vancouver, Canada (2006), and the Affiliates in Action Conference in Arizona (2007). I speak at various fund-raising events, building awareness and thanking supporters for their involvement promoting the image and contributions of people with disabilities. I am also a published writer, including an article titled "Dare to Dream" in Spirit Magazine (2000) and the forward for my 6th grade teacher Rachelle Zola's book "Simple Successes" (2006). I have accepted numerous invitations to speak on Capitol Hill in support of people with disabilities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and I dream of one day speaking, working (and perhaps playing basketball) at the White House.