Isaiah Márquez-Greene stood near center ice at Madison Square Garden knowing he was about to receive a game-worn jersey and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But the New York Rangers had another surprise for their longtime fan.
Márquez-Greene, an 18-year-old aspiring lawyer set to attend the University of Connecticut, survived the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting that claimed the life of his six-year-old sister Ana.
On Thursday, Rangers captain Jacob Trouba met Márquez-Greene at center ice, gave him the jersey off his back and presented him with a scholarship to law school.
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"This is for you," Trouba told Márquez-Greene while handing him a certificate. "It's from the Garden of Dreams. It's a scholarship for law school. So, you're gonna graduate from college, you're gonna go to law school and you're gonna have no debt coming out of school."
Márquez-Greene, wearing a pink Rangers jersey with his sister's name on the back, was in attendance as part of the Rangers annual Garden of Dreams foundation jersey giveaway that takes place after their final home game of the regular season.
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After meeting Trouba, Márquez-Greene told the defenseman he's been a fan of his since he played for Winnipeg, where he said he lived between the ages of five and eight.
Trouba, after autographing the blue No. 8 jersey he wore during Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, asked Márquez-Greene to take a seat with him on the Rangers' bench.
"I know your story," Trouba said. "I feel for you. You're an amazing human."
Trouba then awarded Márquez-Greene the 2023 Garden of Dreams Inspire Scholarship.
Márquez-Greene's mother Nelba, a therapist who founded The Ana Grace Project in response to the tragedy that took her daughter's life, thanked the team on social media.
"This was a lot of beauty to hold at once. Thank you, @NYRangers, for keeping your promises," she tweeted with a video of her son and Trouba.
Trouba also gave Márquez-Greene one more thing: his phone number.
“I want an invitation for when you graduate law school,” Trouba said. “And I’m gonna check in with you when you go to college next year.”
"I'll text you," Márquez-Greene responded.
"I'm looking forward to what you accomplish in life," Trouba said. "You've got a lot ahead of you."
