Girl Born In Jail Defies The Odds And Is Now Going To Harvard
Timothy Roberts
Aurora Sky Castner is an amazing young girl. At 18 years old, she graduated third in her class from her high school in Texas.
To be at the top of the heap is an accomplishment on its own, but the story behind Aurora is even more impressive.
Photo: According to KTUV, Aurora was born when her mother was incarcerated and she was raised by a single father. It took a lot of hard work, but now Aurora has graduated high school and she is moving on to Harvard University.
Her mother was in the Galveston County Jail when she gave birth to Aurora. She has only spoken to her mother one time when she was 14 years old.
Even in her early life, she showed a tendency toward learning. According to the Houston Chronicle, she was connected with Mona Hamby, who became her mentor.
Photo: YouTube/KHOU 11
Hamby assisted her throughout life, including many of the normal things that most of us take for granted. Aurora said that she grew up in a different type of environment but she doesn't feel that it is a bad thing.
She went on to say that everything Mona taught her was valuable but she also feels that the things she went through before getting a mentor were valuable as well.
Aurora felt great satisfaction with getting all A's in high school. Grades were important to her and after visiting the Harvard campus with Hamby, she decided to move forward and write an essay. That essay was of her own life, entitled: "I was born in prison."
Photo: The university will be welcoming Aurora to the campus in the fall. She plans on studying law, even though it is not an undergraduate major at the University.
If there is one thing we know, it's the fact that Aurora beat the odds. Some 2,000 children are born to incarcerated women every year and many more are born to incarcerated fathers.
Those children face a very difficult life and have many obstacles to overcome. It isn't easy, but with a lot of determination and a mentor by your side, many other children may be able to follow the same path that Aurora took.
