TX girl who was born in prison will be attending Harvard in the fall after graduating third in her class
Texas girl who was born in prison is going to Harvard in the fall after graduating third in her class – ‘voracious reader’ lived with single dad while mom was behind bars
- Sky Castner, 18, of Montgomery County, was born in the Galveston County Jail because her mother was in jail at the time of her birth
- Despite her rocky beginnings, Castner will graduate third in her class from Conroe High School and go to Harvard in the fall to study law.
- The young teen credits her mentor Mona Hamby for her success. Castner and Hamby met when the graduate was in elementary school
A Texas girl, born in prison, attends Harvard after graduating third in her class.
Sky Castner, 18, of Montgomery County, was born in the Galveston County Jail because her mother was in jail at the time of her birth. Her father picked her up from prison and raised her as a single father.
“I was born in prison,” reads the first line of her Harvard application letter, which she co-wrote with a professor at Boston University.
“He helped me tell my story the best I could,” she told the Houston Chronicle.
Despite her rocky beginnings, Castner will graduate third in her class from Conroe High School – north of Houston – and go to Harvard in the fall to study law.
Sky Castner, 18, of Montgomery County, was born in the Galveston County Jail because her mother was in jail at the time of her birth. Her father picked her up from prison and raised her as a single father
Despite her rocky beginnings, Castner will graduate third in her class from Conroe High School – north of Houston
The young teen credits her mentor Mona Hamby for her success. Castner and Hamby met when the graduate was in elementary school from Reaves Elementary school
The young teen credits her mentor Mona Hamby, who is not related to the school, for her success. Castner and Hamby met when the graduate was in elementary school from Reaves Elementary school.
The young girl was a voracious reader and staff thought she would benefit from CISD’s Project Mentor program, which pairs children in need of a little love with an adult to help care for and guide them.
“I got a paper on her. Her hero was Rosa Parks, her favorite food was Dairy Queen tacos, and she loved to read. I thought this sounds like a bright little girl,” Hamby told the Houston Chronicle. “I still have that paper.
She told me, “I’ve been in prison.” I said, “No, you can’t,” the mentor continued. “I knew I couldn’t go to lunch with this boy once a week, she needed more.”
Castner makes several appearances on Hamby’s Facebook page, and the mentor often gushed about the teen and how proud she was.
Hamby was there the first time Castner got glasses and needed a haircut, even taking her to the Harvard campus.
The young girl was a voracious reader and staff thought she would benefit from CISD’s Project Mentor program, which pairs children in need of a little love with an adult to help care for and guide them
“I was born in prison,” reads the first line of her Harvard application letter
“After that trip, I saw her love for the school grow,” she told the Chronicle.
Others in the community helped her experience things like summer camp.
“It was a very different environment than I grew up in and that’s okay,” the 2023 graduate told the Chronicle. “Everything Mona taught me was very valuable, just as everything I went through for Mona was very valuable.”
Castner worked hard to earn all A’s and enrolled in the Academy for Health and Science Professions at Conroe High School to prepare to eventually attend the prestigious university.
Castner graduated from Conroe High School on Thursday.