Aurora Sky Castner.Photo:Academy for Science & Health, Conroe ISD/Facebook

Academy for Science & Health, Conroe ISD/Facebook
A Texas girl who was born in jail is making a name for herself after graduating from high school at the top of her class, with plans to attend Harvard University.
Eighteen years after she was born in the Galveston County Jail, Aurora Sky Castner graduated third in her class at Conroe High School on Thursday night,The Courierreported.
Castner’s mother was in jail when she gave birth to her. She has not played a role in her daughter’s life since the day Castner’s father picked her up as a newborn from the prison, raising her as a single father, the outlet said.
According to theCourier, Castner opened her application essay to Harvard with the sentence, “I was born in prison.”
She was later accepted into the Ivy League through early action, and the teen plans to study law when she attends the school in the fall.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Harvard University’s Harvard Yard.Getty Images

Getty Images
Growing up, Castner moved around a lot with her dad, but always stayed in Montgomery County, theCourierreported.
When she was in elementary school, members of the staff saw potential in her, but felt she could use some guidance fromCISD’s Project Mentor program, which partners community volunteers with students.
“It was a very different environment than I grew up in and that’s not a bad thing,” Castner said. “Everything that Mona taught me was very valuable in the same way that everything that I went through before Mona was very valuable.”
source: people.com