Congratulations are in order for one exceptional young woman.
She was born to an incarcerated mother and raised by a single father.
Castner was born while her mother was incarcerated in the Galveston County Jail.
Harvard Yard, an iconic part of the Harvard University campus. (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Castner was paired with Mona Hamby, and the two quickly grew close.
Hamby helped out by guiding Castner through the minutiae of life, from buying glasses to haircuts.
Grades just meant a lot to me.
Castner’s success is to be applauded, and Hamby’s support for the girl is a lucky intervention.
Approximately2,000 childrena year are born to incarcerated women, and countless more are born with incarcerated fathers.
Proportionally, significantlymore Black and brown childrenhave incarcerated or system-involved parents.
Even after birth, children of incarcerated parents faceincredible obstaclesincluding housing instability, socio-emotional challenges, etc.
Harvard Yard, an iconic part of the Harvard University campus.
