Our Story
The Thrive in Joy Nick Fagnano Foundation was founded in memory of Nick Fagnano who lost his life on July 27, 2014, in a rare and unexpected lightning strike at Venice Beach, CA. Nick was just 20 years old. Within days Nick’s parents, Mary and Jay Fagnano, began imagining the beginnings of the Thrive in Joy Foundation to keep Nick’s light shining in this world.
At first, the intent was to continue work Nick started at age 13 helping some of the most vulnerable children in the Dominican Republic. We still do that, but over the years our vision has expanded. Nick was known for his goodness, character, and natural proclivity for helping others. And so, Thrive in Joy has taken on a character agenda in his name, encouraging character development and a passion for service in young people through programs inspired by Nick’s life. C11, a character education program rooted in 11 of Nick’s character traits—humility, honesty, humor, perseverance, perspective, spirituality, teamwork, zest, love, kindness, and gratitude— was launched in 2019 through a pilot program with Multiplying Good Students in Action. The program met with tremendous response from students and educators, and in 2020 C11 was introduced to its first high school, USC Hybrid High School in South Los Angeles. C11 is more than just a new program—it’s the culmination of our collective efforts and vision over the past four years. As we focus our long-term goals, C11 will be the guiding beacon for all our endeavors.
At Thrive in Joy, we believe:
Every young person is inspired by someone in their life but most don’t realize how much of an inspiration they can be to others…right now. Through the ripple effect of Nick’s life, teens see the possibility for their lives to matter and how decisions they make will impact their capacity for joy, self-confidence, and social change
Teens don’t have to be “influencers” to inspire and it doesn’t matter how many followers you have on social media. By being a friend, giving positive feedback to others, and experiencing positive feedback from your peers you’ll recognize your character strengths and be able to apply them to all of life’s challenges and opportunities.
C is the first letter of Character and it’s also the chemical symbol for Carbon. Eleven is the number of character traits that best describe Nick. It’s only when carbon experiences extreme heat and pressure that it becomes a diamond. Young people, especially those from low-income families, experience many pressures throughout high school. The C11 Strength of Character program gives teens the tools to recognize these pressures are natural aspects of growth and change and not insurmountable obstacles. Through C11 teens are prepared to face challenges with confidence knowing they are supported by their fellow Thrive in Joy peers and confident in the potential for their lives to have a positive impact on their community.
