Shout Out: Tanner Salinas, a Stevenson graduate with cerebral palsy working at Wrigley Field – Chicago Tribune

After being advised not to attend college, 22-year-old Tanner Salinas, who has cerebral palsy, finds himself living on his own in Riverwoods and working as an usher for the Chicago Cubs four years after graduating from Stevenson High School

Born with a movement disorder that affects his speech and body movement, Salinas said that while at Stevenson, he was advised to attend the school's transition program for 18 to 22 year olds with developmental disabilities.

"I wanted to go to college like everyone else," he said. "To do what I have been doing, I had, and have been proving all the doctors, and everyone else, wrong because they told me and my parents that I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing because of my disability."

Salinas went on to graduate from Stevenson in four years and earned a diploma through the University of Iowa's Reach program, a two-year transition and certificate program for students with developmental disabilities, according to its website.

In May, he started a job as an usher with the Chicago Cubs, manning the upper decks of Wrigley Field.

Q: You've been to Wrigley Field as a fan in past seasons and as an employee this season. Now that the Cubs hold the world title, is the vibe in the stadium different?

A: It feels great. I love working at Wrigley. It's like going to a ball game every day. There are some stairs that I take, but they are not a big deal for me.

Q: Moving to Iowa City for a bigger challenge - when you first arrived, did you feel confident? Scared? Something else?

A: At first, I didn't know what to do my freshman year. Then after a couple weeks went by, I got used to being on campus and living on my own. It was everything I wanted it to be. Me and friends of mine joined flag football twice a year.

Q: What do you wish the general public understood about cerebral palsy? Are there things you can do that people assume you can't? Are there things you can't do that people don't think of as a challenge?

A: I have a disability, but I can do anything that I can put my mind to. Sometimes, it's not easy. Sometimes, I say to myself, "Why do they have to say something to me that I know I can do?"

Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago.

RWachter@PioneerLocal.com

Twitter: @RonnieAtPioneer

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Shout Out: Tanner Salinas, a Stevenson graduate with cerebral palsy working at Wrigley Field - Chicago Tribune