Texas girl who was born in prison is set to attend Harvard in the fall after graduating third in her class - 'voracious reader' lived with single dad while mother was behind bars

Sky Castner, 18, of Montgomery County, was born in Galveston County Jail, as her mother was incarcerated at the time of her birthDespite her rough beginnings, Castner will graduate third in her class from Conroe High School and will attend Harvard in the fall to study lawThe young teen credits her mentor Mona Hamby for her success. Castner and Hamby met when the graduate was in elementary school 

A Texas girl, who was born in prison, will be attending Harvard after graduating third in her class.

Sky Castner, 18, of Montgomery County, was born in Galveston County Jail, as her mother was incarcerated at the time of her birth. Her father would pick her up from the county jail and raised her as a single dad.

‘I was born in prison,’ reads the first line of her Harvard application letter, which she worked with a professor at Boston University to write.

‘He helped me to tell my story in the best way possible,’ she told the Houston Chronicle.

Despite her rough beginnings, Castner will graduate third in her class from Conroe High School – north of Houston – and will attend Harvard in the fall to study law.

Sky Castner, 18, of Montgomery County, was born in Galveston County Jail, as her mother was incarcerated at the time of her birth. Her father would pick her up from the county jail and raised her as a single dad

‘I was born in prison,’ reads the first line of her Harvard application letter

Despite her rough beginnings, Castner will graduate third in her class from Conroe High School – north of Houston

The young teen credits her mentor Mona Hamby, who is unrelated to the school, for her success. Castner and Hamby met when the graduate was in elementary school at Reaves Elementary school.

The young girl was a voracious reader and staff thought she’d benefit from CISD’s Project Mentor program, where children in need of a little love get paired with an adult to help care and mentor with them.

‘I was given a paper about her. Her hero was Rosa Parks, her favorite food was tacos from Dairy Queen and she loved to read. I thought this sounds like a bright little girl,’ Hamby told the Houston Chronicle. ‘I still have that paper today.

‘She told me: “I’ve been to jail.” I said: “No, that can’t be right,” the mentor continued. ‘I knew that I can’t just go eat lunch with this kid once a week, she needed more.’

Castner appears several times 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, and even took her to toward Harvard’s campus.

The young girl was a voracious reader and staff thought she’d benefit from CISD’s Project Mentor program, where children in need of a little love get paired with an adult to help care and mentor with them

The young teen credits her mentor Mona Hamby for her success. Castner and Hamby met when the graduate was in elementary school at Reaves Elementary school

‘After that trip, I saw her love for the school intensify,’ 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 not a bad thing,’ the 2023 graduate told the Chronicle. ‘Everything that Mona taught me was very valuable in the same way that everything that I went through before Mona was very valuable.’

Castner worked hard to achieve all A’s and enrolled in the Academy for Health and Science Professions at Conroe High School to prepare to eventually go to the prestigious university.

Castner graduated from Conroe High School on Thursday.