West Campus High School Senior Skylyn Ramirez has made a name for herself as she embodies what school pride means while exemplifying leadership skills in her powerlifting team. As captain of the Powerlifting team, the duties of leading a team to success can be challenging, but Skylyn has proved that she is more than prepared to accept that level of responsibility. 

Throughout her time at West Campus, she’s been involved in volleyball, softball, track and field, soccer, golf, and powerlifting, diversifying her athletic skills and understanding the essence of teamwork.

“As captain, you have to be all-in even on your off days,” Skylyn explains. The responsibility includes learning how to face challenges with grace and knowing that her job is to set an example for her younger teammates. 

When encountering difficulties on and off the field, Skylyn turns to her coaches for guidance and assistance with challenging obstacles. The most important life-lesson Skylyn’s coaches have provided for her is a few words with a powerful message: “Nobody is going to do it for you”.  

“My coaches have impacted my life as more than just a student athlete,” Skylyn added. “They’ve been my number one support system in all my four years at West Campus.”

WCHS Head Powerlifting Coach Manuel Salinas has been guiding Skylyn through her powerlifting journey for two years to prepare her for future competitive meets at the collegiate level. During Salina's time as her coach, he saw Skylyn evolve from a junior athlete to a leading captain, inspiring her teammates to be a positive influence on others. 

“She was always so involved and dedicated as a junior athlete, we’d thought she would be perfect as captain in her senior year,” Coach Salinas explained. 

So what is powerlifting? 

It is a sport that tests athletes' strength, form, and technical ability to perform three core lifts: deadlift, squat, and bench press. During competitive meets, the athlete is required to repeat each lift 3 times, increasing the weight in their opening, second, and third attempt. After athletes have completed a total of nine lifts, judges score the athletes by adding up their heaviest lifts of each category and creating a grand total of points for them to be ranked. 

On February 14, Skylyn competed in the last girl's qualifier at the Natalia Mustang Invitational to then hopefully receive an invitation to compete at the regional level. This competition determined whether Skylyn would be able to advance into her career. She showed out on the mainstage with a squat of 300lbs, bench of 160lbs, and deadlift of 305lbs, which helped her receive her invitation to regionals. 

Words of encouragement and excitement filled the air as Skylyn’s coaches, family, teammates, and community rallied around her to show their unwavering support. “When it's a good meet day, and everyone is hitting new PR’s, it’s a great feeling as a team,” Skylyn expressed.

Leading a co-ed sports team and maintaining high performance can be an overwhelming task to balance. Effective communication is the number one skill Skylyn uses to work in a team that has a variety of personalities, learning styles, and ways to support each other. Now, Skylyn has the opportunity to use her communication skills she’s acquired through her leadership, and apply it to a new chapter in her education, athletics, and life.  

With the assistance and mentorship of her coaches, she feels equipped to take on the next level of athleticism: Skylyn has been accepted to the Texas A&M University of Kingsville and will be joining their powerlifting team. For the next four years, Skylyn will be majoring in Biomedical Science and her goal is to enter the career path of sonography. 

“I’m excited to see what’s in store for me at Kingsville and how living on campus will be.”

Alongside Skylyn’s athletic achievements, her involvement in school and community events showcases her level of school spirit and interest in boosting morale of her classmates. As a member of the Student Council, Skylyn has dedicated her time to organizing events, leading school activities, and being the voice of West Campus’ student body. At events such as their Senior Cord Celebration and Commencement Ceremony, Skylyn has exhibited her strong public speaking skills as the MC, host, and presenter.  

For the first year at West Campus High School, Mr. Ricardo Marroquin, WCHS Principal, initiated the Cougar of the Year Award to highlight two students that exemplified great character, school spirit, leadership, and dedication. Through the votes of teachers and staff, Skylyn was selected as one of the two students to receive the award and was recognized at their Senior Cord Ceremony this past month. 

“Skylyn was well deserving of the Cougar of the Year award,” Mr. Marroquin expressed. “I could not be prouder as Skylyn is not just committed to her athletics, she is completely committed to West Campus.” 

Skylyn has left a lasting impact as a sports captain, student leader, and dedicated classmate. SSAISD congratulates her on her achievements and thanks her for representing the district with excellence. As she embarks on her journey at Texas A&M University of Kingsville, we wish her new friendships, memories, and many more personal records!