Rylan Chapa is running out of space on her wall.
The lack of real estate is perfectly understandable for the MHS senior weightlifter. Following her individual state championship in the snatch competition in February and subsequent Academic All-State nod two months later, it seems Chapa added a new award to her already impressive stack nearly every week throughout April and May. It became routine to see government meetings for the City of Marathon or Monroe County begin with a proclamation honoring the senior’s most recent accomplishments.
“It’s very overwhelming,” Chapa told Keys Weekly. “I thought it was overwhelming when I won state, and then all of this happened. … It’s keeping me on my toes.”
At its April 26 meeting, the Monroe County School District aimed to honor Chapa’s accomplishments thus far, including her 4.6 GPA, her title as the 2021 MHS Female Athlete of the Year, her state championship and Academic All-State honors, and her inclusion on the distinguished Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
Such accomplishments are often recognized with a Great Educational Moments for Students (GEMS) award – but Chapa had already added that title to her resume a few months prior. With its typical avenue of recognition exhausted, the district created a Special Award just for the outstanding senior.
Just days later, Chapa was announced as a winner of the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Mandy Stoll Scholar/Athlete of the Year Award. Bestowed each year on deserving students throughout the state, the scholarship selects two males and two females in each of the four FHSAA basketball classifications, as well as one male and one female at-large nominee, to receive a $500 cash award and plaque.
She wasn’t done yet, however. On May 11, interim Department of Education commissioner Jacob Oliva used his first visit to Key West to present Chapa with a Commissioner’s Leadership Award to recognize her success in academics, athletics and leadership.
“I don’t even know how to explain it,” said Chapa when asked about the slew of back-to-back awards. Even with all her individual accomplishments, she was quick to deflect praise onto her support system – naming her parents, coaches Jessie Schubert and Michelle James, and Keys Strength owners Chris and Liz Kuck, among others – and to view her titles as a win for her school as a whole.
“I feel so loved here,” she said. “I hope that other people want to do things and get recognized because it does a lot for the school.
“I have the greatest parents, teachers that care and coaches that care. If they see that you’re trying, they will do absolutely anything for you. It’s so nice to have that because I know that is not everywhere.”
After her Academic All-State nod, Keys Weekly jokingly told Chapa that she had used up all of her real estate in these pages. With Marathon’s end-of-year awards just around the corner, we look forward to the possibility of breaking our promise once again.
