In a neighborhood deli on Staten Island, New York, report cards have become something worth celebrating.
Students walk through the doors of Zack’s Finest Deli & Grocery carrying papers that most children would normally bring home only to their parents. Some have averages in the 90s. Others have simply raised a struggling grade enough to show that they are trying. Instead of quietly putting those report cards away, they bring them to Wail Alselwi.
Alselwi, the co-owner and manager of the neighborhood store, is better known to many people online as “Island Ock.” Behind the counter, surrounded by snacks, drinks and everyday groceries, he has created an unusual reward system that has transformed a small community gesture into a nationally recognized effort to encourage children to take school seriously.
The program is called “Grades for Grabs.”
Its basic idea could hardly be simpler: work hard at school, show improvement or achieve strong grades, and Alselwi will make sure that effort gets noticed.
Depending on their results, students have been rewarded with free snacks, groceries, merchandise and cash. Children who may not have perfect grades can also qualify by demonstrating meaningful academic improvement, while students recognized for accomplishments such as strong attendance have also been celebrated. TODAY reported in 2025 that Alselwi was deliberately trying to make the program about effort as well as perfection rather than limiting rewards only to straight-A students.
What is remarkable is not only how many students now participate.
It is how the entire idea began.
One Student, One Promise
The story traces back to 2023 and a young Staten Island student named Zamier Davies.
Davies was a regular visitor to the deli and wanted to reach the honor roll. According to the Staten Island Borough President’s Office, he had regularly earned Merit Roll recognition but hoped to push his grades higher. Alselwi decided to give him an extra incentive.
The deal was straightforward: improve his grades, and he could choose something from the store for free.
Davies took the challenge seriously.
Alselwi later told TODAY that the student first raised his average to about 88 percent and selected an Oreo milkshake as his reward. When the average rose again, more food was added to the celebration. Eventually, Davies accomplished the larger goal and reached the honor roll.
The Staten Island Borough President’s Office later described Davies saying that after raising his average to 80, he kept pushing until he achieved a 90 average and made Honor Roll. When he returned to the deli with proof of what he had accomplished, Alselwi celebrated with him and told him to choose what he wanted from the store.
The moment could easily have ended there.
A neighborhood store manager had encouraged one student. The student had responded. He earned his reward, and both could have moved on.
Instead, the story spread.
Videos of the interactions reached social media, where millions of viewers began watching students proudly show Alselwi their report cards. Other children noticed what was happening. Soon they began arriving with report cards of their own.
What began as a private incentive became a community tradition.
By 2024, the Staten Island Borough President’s Office had formally recognized both Alselwi and Davies with Certificates of Appreciation, celebrating the unusual partnership between a neighborhood businessman and a student determined to improve academically.
The Birth of “Grades for Grabs”
As more children participated, Alselwi developed the idea into what became known as Grades for Grabs.
The program does not treat every student exactly the same because academic progress can look very different from one child to another.
For a student already earning top marks, the goal might be maintaining a 90-plus average. For another child who has struggled academically, simply moving from failing to passing can represent an enormous accomplishment.
That distinction became an important part of the project.
In an interview cited by ABC-related coverage in September 2026, Alselwi explained that children do not have to reach a 98 percent average to be recognized. A student who is failing can qualify by improving and passing classes. In one example featured in the report, he congratulated a child whose grade jumped from 68 to 94 before handing over a $100 reward.
Earlier reporting by TODAY described a tiered system. Students averaging between roughly 70 and 80 percent could choose a limited amount of merchandise, while students with stronger averages could receive larger rewards. Children achieving 90 percent or higher could receive $100, a shirt and items from the store. Students showing significant improvement, receiving Student of the Month honors or achieving perfect attendance were also eligible for recognition.
The exact reward may vary, but the message stays consistent:
Your effort matters.
That simple sentence carries more weight than it might first appear.
Report cards can often feel to children like documents focused mainly on what they did wrong. A low math grade, a difficult subject or a missed assignment may dominate conversations at home or school.