The Texas teenager who was born in a prison and overcame child poverty to earn a full scholarship to Harvard took her first steps towards her future this week when she graduated from high school.
Aurora Sky Castner, 18, made headlines earlier this week when her extraordinary story was revealed to the world by her longtime mentor – who revealed how the ‘voracious reader’ dropped out of Harvard Law School, achieving a lifetime goal she set for herself in elementary school.
Now footage has captured the moment Sky, who was raised by her single, bipolar father with the help of mentor Mona Hamby and several other members of the local community, celebrated her successes alongside loved ones during her high school graduation on Thursday.
Photos of the teenager taken outside Conroe High School in Montgomery County, from which she graduated summa cum laude, show her beaming with pride while posing in her gold cap and dress – with a snap showing her an enthusiastic thumbs up to his friends and family.
The Texas teenager who was born in a prison and is now heading to Harvard Law School on a full scholarship has been pictured graduating from high school – after her extraordinary story was revealed to the world
Aurora Sky Castner, 18, was born behind the walls of Galveston County Jail, where her mother was incarcerated, and was later raised by a single father, who suffered from bipolar disorder.
Speaking of her academic successes, Sky thanked her mentor Mona Hamby (seen hugging the teenager) for helping her achieve her dream of one day going to Harvard – a goal she set for herself when she was in elementary school.
In addition to her summa cum laude sash, Castner also proudly posed in a medal from Conroe High School’s Academy of Health Professions and Sciences, an organization she was a part of throughout her time there. .
Another particularly poignant photo shows Castner and Hamby locked in a warm embrace before the ceremony began, with the high school graduate wrapping her arms around her longtime mentor – while jokingly telling him not to cry.
It’s no surprise that emotions run high on stage day, especially for Hamby, who spoke of Castner’s many accomplishments with great pride this week, recalling how the teenager laid bare her incredibly debut. hardships in life as part of the candidacy essay that earned her place at the prestigious Ivy League school.
“I was born in prison,” the application letter began, according to the Houston Chronicle.
If that line alone wasn’t enough to grab the admissions committee’s attention, perhaps Castner’s excellent academic records did.
Described as a ‘voracious reader’ when she was in primary school, the 18-year-old was invited to join the local CISD Project mentorship program in hopes of developing her early talents. It was through this program that Castner met Hamby – who was to become one of the key figures in his life.
Footage shared on Hamby’s social media accounts reveals her close bond with Castner – with the mentor gushing in an emotional message shared just weeks before the teenager’s graduation: ‘The girl has set herself the goal of going to Harvard in elementary school despite being born into poverty. Received a full scholarship to attend Harvard in 2023.’
According to Hamby, she knew Castner had special talents from an early age, reminding the Chronicle, “I was given an article about him. Her hero was Rosa Parks, her favorite food was Dairy Queen tacos, and she loved to read. I thought it looked like a bright little girl.
Castner proudly wore a ‘Harvard bound’ sign on top of his graduation cap
The teenager graduated summa cum laude and finished third in her class at Conroe High School
In addition to her summa cum laude sash, Castner also proudly posed in a medal from Conroe High School’s Academy of Health Professions and Sciences, an organization she was a part of throughout her time there. down.
Castner’s successes are all the more impressive when his background is taken into account. The teenager was born behind the walls of Galveston County Jail (pictured) where her mother was incarcerated at the time
She continued: “She said to me, ‘I’ve been in jail. I said, “No, that can’t be true.” I knew I couldn’t just go to lunch with this child once a week, she needed more.
In the years since, Hamby has been a lifeline for Castner, helping the girl get glasses, accompanying her on trips to the salon for haircuts, and connecting her with dentists and orthodontists. premises for other health needs.
But perhaps one of Hamby’s biggest contributions to Castner’s life was when she and her husband Randy accompanied the teenager on a Harvard tour last year – which was, recalls the mentor, the moment the high schooler’s love for the Ivy League “intensified”.
Hamby has been at Castner’s side on many significant occasions in her life – including the high school grad prom, which took place in April, just weeks before her graduation.
An image shared on Hamby’s Instagram account – which she captioned “Prom 2023 for my sweet girl!” – shows the teenager posing by a lake while wearing a stunning floor-length red ball gown.
Meanwhile, Sky herself posted several photos from the dance, including several with her friends – and her boyfriend, Nate Morris.
The teenager has been very private about her academic achievements on social media, sharing only a few images of herself touring the Harvard campus in April when she attended freshman orientation.
Castner first learned that she had won a place at the Ivy League school in December, a moment Hamby was quick to celebrate on Instagram, where she shared an image of a sign that read, ” Harvard, this is Sky!”
Sky Castner, 18, of Montgomery County, was born in the Galveston County Jail because her mother was incarcerated at the time of her birth. Her father picked her up from the county jail and raised her as a single father.
“I was born in prison,” reads the first line of her Harvard application letter.
Despite his rocky start, Castner will graduate third in his class at Conroe High School – north of Houston
In the accompanying caption, she expressed her pride, writing, “This girl put in all the hard work and dedication it took.”
In October, Hamby marked another banner week in Castner’s life – after the teenager applied to Harvard and paid for her first car, all within days.
‘Amazing week for this girl!’ Hamby wrote, sharing an image of the teenager holding up the deed to her new car.
‘Application submitted to Harvard on Monday. First car paid for on Tuesday. Lots of long hours spent on both. Congratulations girl! I love you and your work ethic.
On his Facebook page, Hamby spoke about the importance of his mentoring duties, writing alongside an image of Castner in 2019: “A lot of times people ask me about mentoring. It’s something I want everyone to do for themselves. Not just for that kid whose name is on a list. You will be so much more blessed.
“Yes, they have been identified as ‘in need’. Maybe a single parent home. Sometimes struggling at school. Maybe a behavior problem. We’re all broken people, aren’t we? I urge my friends to volunteer once a week. Bring a lunch and chat/play games (checkers, connect4, etc.). You will never regret it.
