Local Teen Doesn't Let Disability Hinder His Business Dreams
VILLANOVA, Pa. (CBS) -- A local teen with a disability isn't letting it hold him back. He is thriving at his job and he even started his own business.
By day, Christian Romberger, who goes by Chris, works at the student cafeteria on the campus of Villanova University.
Chris is a 19-years-old with Down Syndrome and Autism and his mother told Eyewitness News she never imagined her son would be able to do everything he has on his own.
"He was having a lot of shut downs at different jobs and unable to work a three-hour shift," Marcie Romberger said.
Chris has been working at the cafeteria since October and now performs up to six tasks a day.
In addition to excelling at his day job, Chris also carries the title of business owner.
Chris sells comic books and created the business "Comic Man Comics And Books." The comics are sold through a vending machine.
"I knew that Chris liked Spiderman, so I took him to a comic book shop and he loved it," Chris' job coach Chris Haas explained.
Haas said they couldn't afford to start their own store, so they created the comic book vending machine.
"We called a manufacturer in Georgia where they make custom vending machines and they made one for us. So this is the world's first comic book vending machines," Haas said.
Chris is in charge of the upkeep and replacing the comics.
It's a passion and a business for him. And while it's only been standing for a few weeks, Chris has already sold several comic books.
The comic book machine is located inside the Play It Again Sports store in Berwyn, Pa.
Chris' mother said seeing her son run his own business is something she says is a sign of how much he's truly grown.
Chris says he plans to open more vending machines in the future.
