Texas Girl Born in Jail Raised without Mom Makes Her Way to Harvard after Childhood of Poverty

A Texas girl was born in jail, with her life seemingly over before it began. If only the little girl then could see Aurora Sky Castner as she is now; a strong, confident young woman who is achieving all her dreams.

Eighteen years after her mother gave birth in Galveston County Jail, Texas, Castner is proving her beginning irrelevant. She has now made a name for herself despite being born into poverty and crime.

Castner knew that she wanted more for her life than what she was born into, and she set a goal for herself to make it there. She has since graduated high school at the top of her class and is moving toward an even bigger dream.

Castner’s father raised her alone after he picked her up from jail the day she was born. Her mother has had nothing to do with her life since the day she was born, but she has made it, nevertheless.

If only Castner had known what thousands of people would later find out about her on the day she was born, she would know that everything would turn out better than she could have imagined despite her unfavorable upbringing.

Talking about her early days, Castner is not ashamed to say that she was born in prison. Although Caster and her father moved around a lot when she was younger, they always remained in Montgomery County, where she developed a competitive spirit in school.

Castner admitted that her grades meant a lot to her, and she found much satisfaction in having all As on her report card at the end of the school year. She attended Reaves Elementary School and loved reading. Her teachers quickly noticed that there was something special about Castner.

Castner’s teachers knew she would benefit from the CISD project mentor program. The program partners community volunteers with students. Castner’s mentor was Mona Hamby, who said:

“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. I still have that paper today.”

Hamby and Castner then got to know one another, with Castner telling Hamby about her parental struggles and knowing she needed more than help with her school work. Castner needed someone to be there for her personal troubles, too.

Castner and Hamby quickly formed a close relationship. Hamby told Castner that she also grew up without a mother. Castner confessed that she had only ever spoken to her birth mother once since her father picked her up from the prison when she was born.

Hamby became a parental figure to Castner, helping her pick out glasses, get haircuts, go to doctors’ appointments, and even sign her up for things that most children have the privilege to do, like summer camp.

Castner admitted that being around Hamby was incredibly different from how she grew up and knew that wasn’t bad. The young woman felt that everything Hamby taught her was somehow valuable.

Castner also had some other mentors along the way, like the president of the Conroe Noons Lions Club, Warner Phelps, who confirmed Castner had grown up in the club and deserved every accolade she earned.

One of these accolades was when she won a $2000 scholarship from the club for a speech about the fentanyl crisis. Talking about her address, Phelps gushed:

“She earned it. Her poise and presentation skills stood out.”

Castner revealed that belonging to The Academy for Health and Science Professions at Conroe High School made her want to excel academically. The academy aims to prepare students with vested interests in science and maths for success in the future.

When Castner graduated high school at the top of her class, Hamby took to Instagram to share the happy occasion. She shared a snap of Castner standing on a stage in a blue dress, smiling as she spoke.

Aside from photos of her on graduation day, Hamby has also shared pictures of herself and Castenr doing many other things throughout the years. She shows the young woman off on social media readily.

It was Hamby who helped Castner realize her dream of going to an Ivy League school. Hamby and her husband toured the Harvard Campus with Castner last March. Ever since then, Castner knew she wanted to study there.

After setting her heart on Harvard, Castner enlisted the help of a Boston University Professor named James Wallace, who helped her prepare her application. Castner revealed that he had helped her tell her story in the best way possible.

She graduated number three in her class at Conroe High School and will now attend Harvard to study law with the help of her mentors. She has defied the odds and become more than she ever dreamed.

Many people who have never even met Castner are proud of her and the journey she’s been on to make something great of her life. A Facebook poser containing her story was met with loving and proud reactions from people worldwide.

Some wished her well in her Harvard and future careers, and others talked about what an inspirational young woman she was. Most could not believe that one young woman could do so much for herself without a mother’s help.

While Castner’s story is one of triumph and glory, some children have not had the same help that Castner had throughout her life. In fact, some children suffer at the hands of the very people who are meant to love and cherish them for all eternity.

One such story occurred when a grandmother was incarcerated after two of her grandchildren passed away while in her care. You can read the full story about these tragic incidents here.