Introducing Erin

My name is Erin E. Mallicoat and I’m from Northbrook, Illinois. I’m 21 years old and I have one older brother, two of the sweetest dogs in the world, and I live with my awesome mom and dad! At the age of 2, I was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and Turner Syndrome. Even though I was held back in preschool, I have accomplished SO MUCH in my life advocating for those with special needs like me! At the age of 10, on the invitation by the late Marca Bristo (Rest in Power, shoutout to her!!) and Access Living, me and my dad were invited to the White House in DC to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the ADA to meet President Obama when he was still our president. Marca Bristo announced me as a future leader of the ADA, and I got to shake Obama’s hand! When I was just a freshman in high school, I was invited to the Access Living Gala when they awarded former President Bill Clinton the Lead On Award (an award they give out to those who have helped those with special needs, I don’t really know how to explain it! But that’s the best explanation I can give!) A few years later, I was invited with the Adult Down Syndrome Center to go to Springfield to help declare Adult Down Syndrome Awareness Day in the state of Illinois! When that happened, I ended up in my high school’s newspaper, ended up in the District 225 pamphlet AND in my town’s newspaper!! I was even awarded with a certificate from Springfield honoring me for doing so! That was some of the most amazing memories I will always carry on for the rest of my life!  

At the age of 19, I was admitted into the P.A.C.E at National Louis University program! There, I’m learning how to manage my own life style, live independently, handle money independently, and find a good steady paying job at the end of my college years. I am also an actress, singer and songwriter! At the age of 7 or 8, I became a part of Special Gifts Theater, which is a theater organization that supports those with all sorts of disabilities! I left after my high school graduation and came back this year while taking my gap year from PACE. At Special Gifts, I discovered my singing talent and ended up in my middle school choir and later went on to my high school choir until my sophomore year. When I was a freshman in high school, I discovered my songwriting talent. I have written many, many originals probably more than 20!  

I even write my own stories, and I am currently writing my own Star Wars story (very, very much obsessed with Star Wars!) about the secret daughter of Anakin Skywalker named Queen Evelyna Nessalla. It’s the story of her journey of becoming a jedi and becoming the Queen of the Galaxy. It’s also about how anything is possible since she’s very, very different than any other jedi and has gone through so much in her life, and finds her way into the world again. Evelyna Nessalla Skywalker is based off of me in a way, since I went down a dark path myself when I was in a bad relationship for the first 2 and a half years at PACE and got myself out of it in February of this year. It has been such a dream of mine to publish it and bring it on to the big screen and become a famous worldwide singer around the world. If I did, it would show how anything is possible for someone that has a disability like me, and I want to be an icon to show how anyone can do anything!