OOD Works Podcast Episode 29 Transcript – Jack Requests Support for People with Disabilities Introduction: Welcome to OOD Works, the podcast, a show about unique individuals and the services provided by Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, the state agency that helps individuals with disabilities find a job and be more independent. Here's your host Kim Jump. Kim Jump: Jack Salvaggio of Highland Heights is a 2017 graduate of Mayfield High School, and a 2020 graduate of the Cuyahoga East Vocational Education Consortium. He’s really good with computers, vlogs, and he’s passionate about photography. Specifically, taking photos with his new drone. And a couple of fun facts: Jack knows a lot about birds and he’s a superfan of John Denver. He works in manufacturing, and we’ll talk more about the journey to work in today’s interview. Kim Jump: You’re a John Denver fan! I see—our listeners wouldn’t know this, but you’re wearing a t- shirt that says, “It’s a John Denver thing, you wouldn’t understand.” Jack Salvaggio: Yes! Kim Jump: How did you get into John Denver? Jack Salvaggio: Well, I think when I was pretty much an infant or toddler, my mom would actually play me some John Denver to calm me down. And when I was probably about… when I was probably getting to the toddler, I actually started singing. I didn’t know how to talk yet, but I was singing a little bit of the notes and all that. Kim Jump: You were humming or singing John Denver before you were even talking. Jack Salvaggio: Yes, something like that, yeah. Kim Jump: That’s cool. Do you have a favorite song of his? Jack Salvaggio: I would say maybe “Leaving On A Jet Plane,” “Annie’s Song,” and “Back Home Again,” … “Rocky Mountain High,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” You name it. “Thank God I’m A Country Boy.” Kim Jump: Yeah! Jack Salvaggio: Yeah. Kim Jump: Yeah, I think it has a summery feel to it. Jack Salvaggio: Yes, it does. Kim Jump: What’s it like for you living in Cleveland? Jack Salvaggio: Well, I’ve got to admit, I love it here. I actually like actually going to the sporting events like Cleveland Indians games. Of course, I also love the people here, people are nice here, and we have some pretty good restaurants here, very good restaurants, especially Yours Truly, which is a good one as well. I’ve got a lot of friends, got a beautiful amount of friends here that I met. Kim Jump: Well, what was it like for you during your years at the vocational school? 1 Jack Salvaggio: It was great. I loved the vocational school, it was a really nice vocational school. I met a lot of beautiful teachers. I also love, when it comes to CEVEC, I also love going to the dinner dance. Hopefully I will go this year, this coming year, because it’s for alumni as well. So. Kim Jump: Great! Jack Salvaggio: Yeah. Kim Jump: Your last year there, that spring when the pandemic began, really changed a lot of things. Jack Salvaggio: Yes. Kim Jump: I’m glad to hear that you can go back as an alum and get to participate. Jack Salvaggio: You know, it’s kind of hard to not have a graduation, and have a graduation for… like a traditional graduation of this year, of 2020. But, fortunately of course I pretty much made a video of my speech on YouTube. And of course, you know, I had experience—I was an MC, and I sing the national anthem at one point at past graduations of some of my friends that graduated. The coolest things is, is when here in the house, my teachers came to actually… we were all socially distanced, but they came for… they came here to actually congratulate me, because they came to people’s houses for the graduates, which was nice. Kim Jump: That’s so nice. What a nice gesture. Jack Salvaggio: Yes it was. Being in lockdown, it kind of felt like that one music video where Rihanna, it was like a music video of a song by Calvin Harris, and Rihanna… it’s kind of like Rihanna in the box in that song of, “This is what you came for.” And it kind of felt like that, I was in the box where Rihanna was in pretty much the whole year. Kim Jump: Right. And, you alluded to it, but you made a video to give your own graduation speech? Since— Jack Salvaggio: Yes. Kim Jump: —you didn’t get to be in person. What was it that you wanted to express the most? Jack Salvaggio: Well, I want to express people to be who they are and have a great future. And have a great job experience at their job and learn new things. And of course… of course, record every single, maybe looking back at the years that you had with the past jobs you had, and maybe be able to move somewhere else where you can pretty much find a new job, sometimes. Jack Salvaggio: It’s hard to describe my disability. I’m not sure if it’ll ever get attention, because… you know how the world is, today, but I hope that people could support people with disabilities, people with autism, any kind of special needs spectrum that is trouble for them. I would say support autism awareness, maybe donate money to autism awareness, and be sure to join the autism walk in Cleveland, which… gets you good exercise and all that. So, yeah. Kim Jump: So, I heard that while you were a student, you had some job experiences in the community. One was cleaning a gym? Was that your first? 2 Jack Salvaggio: Yes, but according to that job, it was not a perfect fit. I actually learned that it was not a perfect fit for me. When I got my current… I was actually mostly, when I came to it, I was actually pretty much interested in machinery, working on machines. I think machines are very cool, because they operate in a very cool way. Kim Jump: Any kind of job experience helps you realize what you do like, what you don’t like, so it sounds like that was the value out of that one is, that you knew you’re going to need something maybe that used your mind, keep you more interested. Jack Salvaggio: Yes. Kim Jump: And you also got to try out some work in a hotel? Jack Salvaggio: Yes. It was good, it was a good job, but you know, it wasn’t my point of interest. But it was good. I worked at the Doubletree in Beachwood, Ohio. I was a housekeeper. It was kind of… to be honest, it was not my type of job, but it was a good job for part of it. So yeah. Kim Jump: Yeah, just gave you some experience under your belt. Jack Salvaggio: Yes, that. Kim Jump: Yeah. Also, while you were a student, you got connected to Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities and Jamie Murphy was your first counselor before, I know she— Jack Salvaggio: Yes, she was. Kim Jump: —transferred, right? Jack Salvaggio: Yes, she did. Kim Jump: Eventually, then, you got to know Kenneth, and— Jack Salvaggio: Yes. Kim Jump: —Kenneth Crookston was your vocational rehabilitation counselor. You know, Kenneth told me that… that your parents and your family were extremely supportive in advocating for you. Is that true? Are they your cheerleaders? Jack Salvaggio: You know, I would say yes, I would say yes. That is actually what, that’s very much a good thing to ask, but yes, I would call my cheerleaders. Kim Jump: Yeah! In what kind of ways do you feel like they were rooting for you and trying to help you prepare for your future? Jack Salvaggio: I would say they’re hoping to, they hope to make sure I get a good job, I do a good job, and I make sure that I become a proper adult. I feel like they’ve helped a lot, to balance there was some good and bad times, but mostly good. But you know what, I think they’ve… I’ve come such a long way because of them, without them I wouldn’t be where I am today. Kim Jump: That’s awesome. Jack Salvaggio: Yes, it is. 3 Kim Jump: You said you overcame some challenges. Talk a little bit about kind of what were the main challenges for you? Jack Salvaggio: Well, I would say, I’m going to say COVID. I went to lockdown, it was the hardest challenge, because I was… I stood in my house, and I got laid off at the spring factory. I stayed home since March. It was hard, it was really hard to stay positive. Missed my friends and family members. But the good thing is, until November, I actually got, I got a job at this place in Cleveland, canvas goods. Without that job, I mean, it’s a good thing because it’s an essential job, I feel great to be an essential worker. Kim Jump: Yeah. Jack Salvaggio: And you know, I’m glad that they decided to hire me. It was actually… it was hard to get used to at first, but you know what, it was really nice. It was very nice that I got that job.