On Thursday night, after their final regular season game, the Rangers presented fans with game-worn jerseys. However, one fan got way more than that from the team.
Isaiah Márquez-Greene is a survivor of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting who lost his sister, Ana, during the tragedy. His mother, Nelba, runs The Ana Grace Project, which aims to support children who have suffered traumatic losses.
Now 18 years-old, Márquez-Greene is about to attend UConn as he starts the next phase of his life. After the Rangers game, team captain Jacob Trouba presented Márquez-Greene with his signed jersey, but then surprised the teenager with a scholarship to law school.
Isaiah: You’re our inspiration.
— x - New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 14, 2023
We can’t wait to see you right back here after Troubs watches you graduate law school. pic.twitter.com/GUU8FhQHFM
However, Trouba went a step further with Márquez-Greene, as the defender also gave him his phone number so he can get an invite to Márquez-Greene’s law school graduation in the future.
“You’re not gonna give it to anyone else, but I want an invitation to when you graduate law school, and I’m gonna check in with you when you go to college next year,” Trouba told Márquez-Greene.
This interaction seemed to mean even more to Márquez-Greene, as he told Trouba that he used to live in Winnipeg, just like Trouba, and has been a big fan of the defender’s since his time with the Jets.
Márquez-Greene’s family was on hand to witness the moment, and his mother expressed gratitude towards the Garden of Dreams for making this happen.
Special thanks to the @gardenofdreams foundation who never, ever broke their promises.
— Nelba Márquez-Greene, LMFT (@Nelba_MG) April 14, 2023
We met them almost ten years ago in this exact same spot.
Thank you, season ticket holders and donors for supporting them.
You honor families like mine.
💜 pic.twitter.com/TGkQwWrsiH
