Kids are lining up at this Staten Island bodega with report cards. Here’s why.

NEW YORK — Around 5 p.m., the corner bodega at Heberton Avenue and Ann Street comes alive. 

Peals of laughter spill out onto the sidewalk, mixing with the jingle of a passing soft-serve ice cream truck and shouts of kids playing in neighboring yards. A gaggle of middle school girls gathers outside, creased yellow report cards tucked into their backpacks, while younger kids dart between them, some parents trailing behind. 

In Staten Island’s Port Richmond neighborhood, Zach’s Finest Deli might just be the coolest spot in town. At the center of a group of boys and girls who have gathered 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 Tuesday afternoon, he’s calling out nicknames and giving high fives as a group of students from nearby William A. Morris Intermediate School 61 show him their report cards.

"Let’s go!" Alselwi says as he dabs one of the students up, praising the kid's grade on a recent math test.

Over the past three years, thousands of students have come 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 scoring above 90% earn their pick of snacks, a $100 bill and a T-shirt.

 "These kids are our future,” says Alselwi. "We're here to help them, we have to help guide them."

‘Grades For Grabs’ gives kids prizes for good grades

It all started with a bet.In 2023, Alselwi made 12-year-old Zameir Davis a bet that 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. And as he 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 has since garnered more than 1.7 million likes. 

"No way! You did it! He did it! You’re the man, Zameir!" Alselwi replies. Moments later, the video pans to 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.

“Keep going, ya heard! That’s what I’m talking about,” Alselwi says as Zameir walks out.

Things snowballed from there. People have traveled from Illinois, Oklahoma and even Canada to show Alselwi their grades. In November, during many of the local 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 says of his brother. “To see his relationship with the kids and with the people, it's amazing to see, because you learn from it.”

Pushing kids toward progress

The deli sees a revolving door of students come and go throughout the afternoon, and yet, Wail Alselwi seems to keep track of everyone, listing off fifth grader London Luster’s regular order (a turkey sandwich and bacon, egg and cheese for her sister Lauryn), and remembering that another child's favorite soccer player is Cristiano Ronaldo.

And Alselwi is well known on the block, 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.

These days, the brothers see kids run straight to the deli after school to tell them about their test scores, even when it’s not for a reward. For kids who play sports, the brothers have 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 8-year-old Theodore Lettein Jr., who is in third grade at nearby Lavelle Preparatory Charter School, that motivation was the extra boost he needed to improve his reading scores. 

“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.”

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.

“Not ‘Oh, I’m failing, I’m just gonna be a failure,’” Alselwi says. “No, you’re failing now, what are you going to do about it?”

He’s seen kids go from a 55% to 98% average on tests.

“It doesn’t matter where you stand now, it’s [about] what you’re going to do about it,” Alselwi says.

Rachel Hale’s role covering Youth Mental Health at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.

Reach her at [email protected] and@rachelleighhale on X.