Success From Within, a local nonprofit, is seeing the fruits of its labor being rewarded after a significant increase in student efficiency at Fresno’s Del Mar Elementary School thanks to a $10 bill and some recognition. Photo by Ryan Quintal on unsplash under creative commons license
Success From Within, a local nonprofit, is seeing the fruits of its labor being rewarded after a significant increase in student efficiency at Fresno’s Del Mar Elementary School.
The nonprofit, which was founded in 2022 by community business advocate AJ Rassamni, launched its Wind & Wave Scholarship Program during the 2024-25 school year. The program awards $10 monthly scholarships to students who showcase academic achievement or personal growth, combining recognition with motivational assemblies designed to build confidence and engagement. In its latest round, the program distributed 138 scholarships to students at Del Mar.
Participating students saw up to a 300% increase in iReady online reading improvement and a 500% growth in iReady math during the school year. Rassamni said the program’s main philosophy is based on mindset and self-belief and explained the meaning behind the name “Wind & Wave.”
“When you see a big wave, you say, ‘wow, look at that big wave,’ but you don’t realize it’s the wind that caused that wave,” Rassamni said. “We make them believe in themselves. We basically instill in them that your success doesn’t come from your environment. It comes from within you.”
The program runs from January to June each year, allowing schools to compare student performance before and after participation. Each month, six students per classroom receive scholarships recognizing top performance or significant improvement in reading, math, behavior and attendance. Teachers nominate recipients based on growth and effort. Across the latest cohort, that monthly recognition added up to 138 scholarships awarded — a milestone Rassamni sees as proof the model can scale.
AJ Rassamni high-fives a scholarship recipient during a Wind & Wave awards ceremony at Del Mar Elementary School.
Rassamni said the approach purposefully rewards progress as much as achievement.
“We’re trying to reward the people on the bottom, not only the people on top, because we encourage them to do better,” he said.
Before awards are handed out, community speakers share personal stories about the importance of education and perseverance. Rassamni said the goal is to help students see new possibilities for their future that they didn’t think was possible.
“Your success doesn’t come from the teacher, it doesn’t come from the parents,” he said. “You’re the only person, you have to compete with yourself to do better every month.”
Rassamni said that school leaders have credited the program with increasing student confidence, motivation and stronger relationships with students.
Even though it is $10, the money shows students that a brighter future than they envisioned is possible. For many students, it is the first time they have been formally recognized for academic progress.
“This is the first time in their life they see money or they hear the word scholarship,” Rassamni said.
Rassamni, who migrated to the United States in the 1980s, has spent decades working with youth-focused nonprofits. He said that his own personal experience has helped shape the program’s goal.
“If you know that you cannot fail, what would you do in life?” he said. “We need to instill in people that your dreams come from within.”
Beyond scholarships, Success From Within also promotes mentorship, financial literacy and entrepreneurship education as part of its broader mission to improve outcomes for Fresno youth. The nonprofit’s long-term goal is to expand the Wind & Wave model citywide to all elementary schools.
“Our kids are 17% of our population but 100% of our future,” Rassamni said. “Education is the only hope out of poverty.”