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 . 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,” … “,” “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?

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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?

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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.

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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.

Kim Jump: Did you have support when you started the job from a job coach?

Jack Salvaggio: Yes. His name is Dominic. You know, Dominic, he helped me a lot to make sure I’m focused and doing my good job, doing a great job on tasks. I try to do the best that I can for the job, but I think I’m doing pretty good. I got a raise twice.

Kim Jump: Oh, congratulations!

Jack Salvaggio: Thanks. Thank you.

Kim Jump: That’s pretty quick!

Jack Salvaggio: Yeah, it is. And I used to work, I used to work 20 hours. I went up to about 25 hours a week. It’s really nice to get a paycheck every once in a while, so yeah.

Kim Jump: Definitely. Definitely, and those increased hours mean a bigger paycheck!

Jack Salvaggio: Yes, it is, that’s true.

Kim Jump: (laughs) Who doesn’t like a bigger paycheck?

Jack Salvaggio: Yeah!

Kim Jump: Dominic, he’s with Community Employment for All, and that was your provider organization that you selected.

Jack Salvaggio: Yes.

Kim Jump: Yeah.

Jack Salvaggio: Yes it was.

Kim Jump: He helped you gain skills before you got that job at Cleveland Canvas Goods?

Jack Salvaggio: Yes.

Kim Jump: What kinds of things did you work on leading up to getting employed?

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Jack Salvaggio: Learning how to be professional, be flexible at the job. It was at, it was kind of interesting because I feel like I’ve become that type of guy and type of employee. I feel like I’ve done that kind of stuff, and it took a while to learn. But yeah, I learned it, which is good.

Kim Jump: When you go into work, what kinds of things are you doing there?

Jack Salvaggio: Let’s see. I work on this machine, it’s basically this machine that seals Velcro with basically a press. I seal the Velcro and another employee actually sews them all together. I also do up ten packs in a bag, and I count ten of each of the pieces that are on the table, and there’s like a number chart to actually know the amount that I need. Which helps a lot.

Kim Jump: Is that something that Dominic helped you with, with the number chart?

Jack Salvaggio: Yes.

Kim Jump: Just keep you focused on where you’re at, number-wise?

Jack Salvaggio: Yes, correct.

Kim Jump: I love those practical, on-the-job aids that can help a person be able to stay focused and get the work done.

Jack Salvaggio: Yeah.

Kim Jump: By the time you go home, do you feel tired?

Jack Salvaggio: Yes, I eat lunch and take an hour nap, but sometimes I sleep through the alarm and my dad has to wake me up. It’s hard to get out of bed.

Kim Jump: Yeah. Do you go in pretty early, then?

Jack Salvaggio: Yeah, I get up at 5:10 and my van picks me up at 6:15 AM.

Kim Jump: Did you get support with the transportation, too, then? Is the van through a service?

Jack Salvaggio: The Board actually provides me that van.

Kim Jump: Yeah, the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities?

Jack Salvaggio: Yeah.

Kim Jump: Does the van bring you home as well?

Jack Salvaggio: Yes, it does. I go in the van at around 12:30 PM.

Kim Jump: You mentioned earlier you like machinery. Do you feel like there at Cleveland Canvas Goods Manufacturing, you get that part fulfilled?

Jack Salvaggio: Yes.

Kim Jump: Where you’re watching the machines that you get to use, and that’s fulfilling to you?

Jack Salvaggio: Yes, I think so. Yeah.

Kim Jump: Great! What do you think might be next for you?

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Jack Salvaggio: I would say, I’ll save up for a car and hopefully get my license by the end of 2021, hopefully. Or maybe the start of 2022. I also hope to save up for a house and hopefully I’ll be able to finish my book around this decade, and actually pretty much publish it, so everybody can see—it’s a photography book, so apparently, you know… I’m hoping to publish my beautiful photography book.

Jack Salvaggio: I’ve been working hard on it since I’ve been in lockdown. I actually started it when I was in lockdown. It was really nice, it’s a nice book, I’m so excited to actually show it to a publisher, and I’m dreaming to have that book published. It’s actually titled, “Photographs and Memories,” so hopefully I’ll be able to publish a book, and, you know, people will love it.

Kim Jump: That’s great!

Jack Salvaggio: Yeah.

Kim Jump: So your interest in photography, have you always been interested in photography? Does that go way back?

Jack Salvaggio: I think it started when I was a teenager, started taking pictures of random stuff. Then over the years until 2017 I started, I started getting, I got a camera that zooms a lot further than what I had, and then all of a sudden, to this year, I got a different camera. It’s a Nikon Coolpix P900, and it’s a really nice camera. And then, this year I started, I actually bought myself a magnified lens, I can get close-ups of insects and whatnot. So, yeah.

Kim Jump: That’s very cool. Do you ever bring your passion of birds together with your passion of photography?

Jack Salvaggio: Oh, yes. I do. I got a bird feeder outside the backyard of our house. I get these beautiful pictures.

Kim Jump: What would you say to other young people considering services from Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities?

Jack Salvaggio: If you have a kid with special needs, I would say, I would say look forward to actually getting on with the county board, and I would say CEVEC is the best option, and if you got… hopefully, your kid will be able to be as good as me, and probably better than me, and hopefully it’ll be who they are. Just be who they are, that’s all I’ve got to say.

Kim Jump: Right! I mean, that’s really the goal of services, I think, whether it’s from the… all these different partners working together, the county board and the vocational center and OOD. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s really about your goals and what’s important to you for your future, work that’s right for you. And it sounds like, even though you had a bumpy start with some of those first ones that you didn’t really care for, that you’ve gotten to a good place with what you really wanted out of it.

Jack Salvaggio: Yes. I would say that, yeah.

Kim Jump: Yeah! That makes me really happy for you.

Jack Salvaggio: Thanks. I would say for those who want to check out my channel and subscribe to my channel, JackMustang, and be sure to follow me on Instagram at JackMustang17. And of course, if you

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guys want to follow my photography account, JacksPics_17, and me and Katherine’s account, which is Jack_s_and_Katherine_g, which is pretty long username, but yeah.

Kim Jump: And is Katherine a girlfriend?

Jack Salvaggio: Yeah, she’s my girlfriend. And I really, she’s the love of my life. She’s the only one I want .

Kim Jump: What does she think about all this progress that you’ve made, working there at Cleveland Canvas Goods, and getting the raises?

Jack Salvaggio: To be honest, I think she would be very proud of me, probably happy for me. So yeah.

Kim Jump: Jack, this has been great. I really appreciate the chance to get to know you better. I wish you the best there at your—

Jack Salvaggio: Thank you so much.

Kim Jump: I wish you the best with your book! The book that’s in the works. Keep us posted.

Jack Salvaggio: Yes. Thanks, thank you.

A transcript of today’s episode is available at ood.ohio.gov/podcast. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a rating and review. We’re on social media @OhioOOD. Do you have a disability? Do you want a job? We can help. OODWorks.com.

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