Port Washington teenager Calvin Mar was in for the surprise of his life ahead of the Knicks’ final home game of the regular NBA season on April 11.
The lifelong Knicks fan not only got to meet Karl-Anthony Towns but was presented with a $60,000 scholarship from the Garden of Dreams Foundation.
Mar, a senior at Paul D. Schreiber High School, has experienced more than his fair share of adversity throughout life. He lost his father unexpectedly on Father’s Day in 2016 and grew up with congenital anomalies.
But these obstacles haven’t deterred Mar, who plans on attending SUNY Albany in the fall to pursue a degree in psychology.
“In a lot of the hardest times, I used to kind of fall victim to my circumstances and blame myself or other people,” Mar said. “But as I realized that nobody was necessarily gonna pick up the pieces of my own life, I kind of had to rewrite the way that I looked at my own life. And so in that sense, I’ve basically learned that I have to take that initiative.”
Before the Knicks game started, Mar said he did not expect to meet Towns or win the scholarship, but the surprise was worthwhile.
“I don’t think I could have wished for a better night,” Mar said. “I think it might have been the greatest night of my life.”
Along with presenting the Garden of Dreams’ scholarship, Towns and Mar were able to connect with each other about losing a parent at a young age, as Towns’ mother died five years ago when the NBA player was 25 years old.
The $60,000 scholarship will help Mar pursue a degree in psychology in Albany before he attends law school.
Two years ago, Mar first got involved with the Garden of Dreams Foundation by performing in the non-profit’s annual talent show, which was hosted at Radio City Music Hall. At the show, Mar performed a monologue from August Wilson’s play “Seven Guitars.”
Ever since that monologue, Mar has gone on to perform in seven musicals, from playing the beast in the Port Summer Show’s production of “Beauty and the Beast,” to taking the role of Mr. Krabs in the Manhattan acting studio A Class Act NY’s production of “Spongebob the Musical.”
The Garden of Dreams Foundation collaborates with MSG Entertainment and MSG Sports to provide opportunities, including scholarships, to children in need.
Mar was one of 20 high school seniors in the tri-state area to win the Garden of Dreams’ $60,000 Inspire Scholarship to study at any college or trade school.
Since 2015, the Garden of Dreams Foundation has awarded over $6 million in scholarships to high school seniors affiliated with one of the non-profit’s partners who plan to attend college.
And while the Knicks would later fall six points short to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Mar kept his head held high and encouraged those who might be interested in applying for scholarships, such as those offered at the Garden of Dreams, to push forward even if they had faced adversity.
“Take your chance, it’s a leap of faith, [but] you got nothing to lose,” Mar said.
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