Sky Castner: Recent admission to Harvard University fulfilled the ambitions of a girl who was born in a prison.
Sky Castner, 18, was retrieved from prison by her father, who raised her as a single parent after her mother was imprisoned while she was pregnant. The Texas child and her father frequently moved around, but Sky always had Harvard University in her sights.
Sky Castner, a hardworking student who placed third in her class at Conroe High School, will soon move to Massachusetts to enrol in the elite university’s prestigious law programme. Sky was a diligent student who was a “voracious reader” in primary school, according to the Houston Chronicle, but the school believed she could use some mentoring to give her an extra boost.
As part of a mentor programme where community members spend time with pupils the school believes would greatly benefit from a little more time with an adult, Reaves Elementary introduced Sky to a woman by the name of Mona Hamby.
Over not actually knowing their mothers, the two became close. Sky hadn’t spoken to her mother since she was 14 years old, and Mona saw that the young woman required more than just a little coaching every week.
She informed me, ‘I’ve been to jail,'” Hamby remarked. I responded, “No, that can’t be right. She needs more.” I was aware that I couldn’t just take this child to lunch once a week.
She continued to provide assistance, guiding Sky through crucial adulting tasks like acquiring a haircut and a pair of glasses. Castner stated, “I found something rewarding about obtaining excellent grades in school. It was a totally different milieu than I grew up in, and that’s not a terrible thing.
“Everything Mona taught me was extremely valuable, just like everything I experienced prior to meeting Mona was extremely valuable.”
She informed me, ‘I’ve been to jail,'” Hamby remarked. I responded, “No, that can’t be right. She needs more.” I was aware that I couldn’t just take this child to lunch once a week.
She continued to provide assistance, guiding Sky through crucial adulting tasks like acquiring a haircut and a pair of glasses.
Castner stated, “I found something rewarding about obtaining excellent grades in school. It was a totally different milieu than I grew up in, and that’s not a terrible thing.
“Everything Mona taught me was extremely valuable, just like everything I experienced prior to meeting Mona was extremely valuable.”
