Matthew Schwab
Matthew Schwab is a very busy twenty-year-old living with Down syndrome. His energy and drive is enviable.
Matthew's
weeks are typically filled with attending the Wake Tech Adult Basic
Education Transitional Opportunities for Postsecondary Success
(ABETOPS), working part-time at Chick-fil-A in Holly Springs as a dining
room attendant and volunteering at several local organizations.
His
recent volunteer experiences include Holly Ridge Middle School's
volleyball team, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, the SPCA,
Kraft Family YMCA, 321 Coffee and serving as co-president for Gigi's
Playhouse’s youth advisory board.
Matthew was
selected for a paid internship where he will be a legislative intern for
Representative John Bradford in the North Carolina State Legislature.
With a passion for advocacy, Matthew aspires to be a public speaker and is well on his way to achieve his goal by speaking at the 2018 National Down Syndrome Congress.
Representative John Bradford gives Matthew Schwab, his new intern, a tour and stops on the bridge between the two legislative buildings. This will be a common scene during Matthew’s internship.
Matthew meets with John Bradford, whom he calls his hero, in the representative's office. Matthew will be Representative Bradford’s third intern with Down syndrome.
Matthew and his new boss, Representative John Bradford, walk together on the bridge that connects the two legislative buildings. Representative Bradford shares the importance of the bridge and how they will spend a significant amount of time walking back and forth from these two buildings.
Matthew walks an order from the kitchen to the drive thru with a pep in his step. Since 2015, he has served as a dining room attendant at the local Chick-fil-A in Holly Springs, NC and has become quite well known in the community.
Matthew serves food to a customer waiting for their take-out order while he exchanges a quick conversation with fellow Chick-fil-A employee, Shauna Dawley.
In June 2016, Matthew’s family helped bring Gigi’s Playhouse, a Down syndrome achievement center, to Raleigh. Along with his position of co-president for the youth advisory board, he also volunteers and writes thank you notes to sponsors and volunteers.
Matthew lets the children hold a dinosaur egg while he volunteers at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. He volunteers at the museum’s Pre-History Era program every Wednesday and engages more than 200 visitors by sharing stories about well-known dinosaurs.