Ladbible X Whatsapp
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Young woman who was born in a prison set to study law at Harvard University

Home> News

Published 17:11 27 May 2023 GMT+1

Young woman who was born in a prison set to study law at Harvard University

Sky Castner graduated third in her class and will attend the prestigious Ivy League university this autumn.

Gregory Robinson

Gregory Robinson

A young woman who was born in prison is now set to study law at Harvard University.

Sky Castner, 18, from Montgomery County, was born in Galveston County Jail while her mother was incarcerated - with her going on to be raised by her father.

Still living in the state of Texas, the Conroe High School student graduated third in her class on Thursday (25 May) and will study law at one of the world’s top universities.

Sky Castner graduated third in her class.
Facebook

Advert

Castner credits her mentor, Mona Hamby, who is not associated with her high school, for her success. The teen was an enthusiastic reader and staff believed she would benefit from CISD’s Project Mentor Program, where children are paired with an adult to help care and mentor them.

Caster met her mentor in this programme which has clearly turned out to be hugely impactful.

“I was given a paper about her, Hamby told the Houston Chronicle. “Her hero was Rosa Parks, her favourite 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.

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

Advert

Castner credited her mentor for her achievements.
Facebook

According to an Instagram post Hamby shared in April, Castner will attend the renowned Ivy League university on a full scholarship.

'Girl set a goal to go to Harvard in elementary school despite being born in poverty. Received full scholarship to attend Harvard in 2023,” she captioned a post featuring a picture of her mentee.

Hamby has been present throughout Castner’s life ever since they met, including the time she got glasses, or needed a haircut and even on a tour of the Harvard campus.

“After that trip, I saw her love for the school intensify," Hamby told the Chronicle.

Advert

Mona Hamby.
Facebook

Caster has only spoken to her birth mother once when she was 14 years old, the Houston Chronicle reports.

“It was a very different environment than I grew up in and that’s not a bad thing", the teen 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 achieved all A’s and enrolled in the Academy for Health and Science Professions at Conroe High School before going on to secure a place at Harvard.

Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Sky Castner

Topics: US News, Education, Prison

Gregory Robinson
Gregory Robinson

Gregory is a journalist for LADbible. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, he has worked for both print and online publications and is particularly interested in TV, (pop) music and lifestyle. He loves Madonna, teen dramas from the '90s and prefers tea over coffee.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

15 hours ago
  • 15 hours ago

    Doctor shows how much medicine costs in the US compared to the UK and Australia with shocking results

    Not all healthcare systems were created equal

    News
  • 15 hours ago

    Grim searches prosecutors say alleged killer made before he 'poisoned wife's protein shakes'

    Jurors will also be shown a video of the two arguing shortly before her death

    News
  • 15 hours ago

    Police preparing for 'Trump visit to UK' as protesters vow an ‘even bigger’ response than last time he came

    The US president is unlikely to get a warm welcome

    News
  • 15 hours ago

    People raise concerns over worrying 'food noise' after using Mounjaro weight loss jabs

    Experts have revealed how to stop food noise with Mounjaro

    News
  • Prison officer jailed after she was caught sneaking into a cupboard with an inmate
  • Mother-in-law of woman who 'poisoned Christmas cake' speaks out for first time since she was found dead in prison
  • Details emerge over shocking 'Shawshank' prison escape as 10 violent inmates break free
  • Students have the 'ick' after university used AI to read out their names at graduation ceremony