EDUCATION
About 5 p.m., the corner bodega at Heberton Avenue and Ann Street comes alive. Children gather outside Zach's Finest Deli in Staten Island's Port Richmond neighborhood, including middle school girls with creased yellow report cards tucked into their backpacks, while younger kids dart between them, some parents trailing behind.
At the center of the gathered boys and girls is bodega manager Wail Alselwi, better known as "Wally" to those on the block and as "Island Ock" to the hundreds of thousands who follow him on TikTok and Instagram.
On this particular afternoon, he calls out nicknames and gives high-fives as students from nearby William A. Morris Intermediate School 61 show him their report cards.
"Let's go!" Alselwi says, praising a kid's grade on a recent math test.
Over the past three years, thousands of students came through the deli's doors for Alselwi's "Grades for Grabs" initiative, which incentivizes kids to earn good grades with free snacks and prizes. Those who score below 80% can grab $10 worth of items, and kids who score above 90% earn their pick of snacks, a $100 bill and a T-shirt.
"These kids are our future," Alselwi says. "We're here to help them, we have to help guide them."
Prizes for high scores
It all started with a bet. In 2023, Alselwi made 12-year-old Zameir Davis a bet if he brought in his report card with good grades, he could get whatever he wanted in the store.
Zameir held up his end of the bargain. As Zameir kept improving his scores, Alselwi shared videos of their encounters on TikTok.
"I told you I'd get honor roll!" Zameir exclaims as he runs through the bodega doors in one video, which since garnered more than 1.7 million likes.
"No way! You did it! He did it! You're the man, Zameir!" Alselwi replies. The video shows Zameir's reward: bags of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos; a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich; and a cookies and cream milkshake topped with Oreos and Hershey pieces.
Things snowballed from there. People traveled from Illinois, Oklahoma and even Canada to show Alselwi their children's grades. In November, during many schools' marking periods, lines of 300 to 400 kids stretched outside the deli each day.
For months, Alselwi funded the program out of pocket. His brother, Nash Alselwi, created a website with merchandise and started a GoFundMe as the program grew. It's since raised nearly $500,000 and remains active.
"So many kids were coming, but he's like, 'I don't want to close that door,'" Nash Alselwi said of his brother. "To see his relationship with the kids and with the people, it's amazing to see, because you learn from it."
Push for progress
Wail Alselwi seems to keep track of everyone, listing off fifth grader London Luster's regular order (a turkey sandwich and bacon, and egg and cheese for her sister Lauryn), and remembering another child's favorite soccer player is Cristiano Ronaldo.
Alselwi is greeted constantly by passing neighbors and kids on bikes.
"Keep going for the kids, man!" a driver shouts from his car window as he rounds the corner. Another passerby high-fives him as he walks by. "You're the man, Wally!" he calls out.
The brothers see kids run straight to the deli after school to share their test scores, even when it's not for a reward. For kids who play sports, the brothers created custom Island Ock jerseys.
"Every single test they have to go and show Wally," jokes London and Lauryn's mom, Tina Broadhurst. "You would think that he's their father."
When the kids run to select their prizes, their faces light up.
Some make a beeline straight for the chip aisle. Others pick up essentials like eggs and bread for their parents. Alselwi makes sure the store is stocked with all the kids' favorites, which include Buldak spicy ramen and mega-viral Propitious Mango ice cream.
For Theodore Lettein Jr., 8, a third grader at nearby Lavelle Preparatory Charter School, that motivation was the extra boost he needed to improve his reading .
"It means a lot to me, as a mother, to have another adult who believes in your child as strongly as you do, and who wants to see them do better," says his mom, Charletta Otto Gaye. "It's kind of like (having) a village."
Confidence for kids
For Alselwi, it's about giving kids confidence. He immigrated from Yemen, and his three daughters still live there.
"When (the neighborhood kids) come, I see my own kids in them," Alselwi says.
He adds that Grades for Grabs is not about perfection. Students who improve from failing to passing get the same prize as those with top grades.
He's seen kids go from a 55% to 98% average on tests.
"It doesn't matter where you stand now," he says, "it's what you're going to do about it."
