MIA Valedictorian: Self Motivated with a Supportive Mom

Losing a father is a crushing blow for any family to endure. Sky LaButte, Marco Island Academy’s valedictorian, was the oldest of three children when she lost her father when she was just five years old. She’s grateful to have a strong mother who was able to not only survive the family's tragic loss but was able to move the family forward and build a thriving life for her two young daughters and son. All of this is not lost on Skye LaButte.

"My mom and I have always been close,” LaButte said. "But I think because of losing my dad we’ve all been extra close. She’s always been my biggest role model and my inspiration. I want to be just like her when I’m older. I look up to her a lot. She’s been through a lot of situations in her life, just like everyone goes through. I’ve witnessed her strength firsthand. And it’s really inspiring.”

"My biggest goal for all of my kids is to not be a victim of circumstance,” Tanya LaButte said. "People go through divorces, illnesses, all sorts of losses. I wanted to teach them that it doesn’t have to shape them one way or the other. You can still persevere through. It’s always going to be a part of your life. There’s pain and a lot that goes along with it. Just don’t be victimized. I was really big on that. I didn’t want it to be a fall back. I can’t do this because this happened in my life. We can still do everything and anything."

Skye was in fourth grade when her family moved to Marco Island from Michigan. Tanya LaButte says there’s always been something special inside of her first born.

"She’s always been very self-motivated,” Tanya said. "Very driven. Even in sports. When she sets her mind to something, she does it. I think she was born with it."

Being diversified is important to Skye.

"Volleyball was important to me throughout high school,” she said. "I really enjoyed playing with my team. It was something for me to be active, be involved in the school spirit, and play a sport that I love. My first passion was gymnastics. I was a competitive gymnast. Then I got hurt and had to quit. I picked up volleyball in middle school and played travel volleyball for a couple of years. I was always excited for volleyball. I miss playing games so much. Sophia Shea, Camryn Rose and I have gone through all four years together. I enjoyed the volleyball and the friendships at school. It was such a unique friendship we were able to carry through our four years together.”

LaButte was one of the top players on four conference championship volleyball teams at MIA. A big win over Lely in MIA’s new gym this season was special. For the first time, the gym was packed with supporters of each school. Lely’s proud volleyball tradition only added to the excitement.

"That was a fun game,” LaButte said. "I played with a lot of those girls since middle school. We all knew each other for the most part. It was a fun game. The gym was wild. It was such a cool atmosphere. I loved it. I loved playing but being in the stands would have been so much fun, too. It was so intense. Then playing at Lely, wasn’t as energetic, but it was still a real cool experience. We actually played them my sophomore year in a little tournament. And we beat them then, as well. So, we’ve never lost to them.”

But things always come back to academics and family for LaButte. 

"Volleyball was important to me,” LaButte said, "but my academics have always been my main focus.”

She feels she got a good start at Tommie Barfield Elementary. She had been in a small Montessori school in Michigan.

 "That was a transition,” LaButte said. "It was different to go to a public school. It was a good experience because all of my siblings were in the same school for a couple of years. Then I went to Marco Island Charter Middle School. That was back to the smaller school feel.”

The enjoyment of that small school feel continued for LaButte when she decided to attend Marco Island Academy. Her senior class at MIA has 72 students.

"I don’t think I had a decision,” she said. "I don’t think it was ever a question. I always wanted to go to MIA. I wanted to stay on the island. I had friends who went there and I just loved the atmosphere. I think it’s a great size to make friends and relationships. It’s a lot easier to get to know each other. I think I’ve been able to make friendships with people that if I went to a big school, I wouldn’t be as exposed to. But I think that was a lot better.”

For some outside of the program, the school’s years spent in portable classrooms were a negative. The thought of Marco’s students attending a campus that was comprised of a collection of trailers was off-putting to some. LaButte refuses to entertain any negative thoughts about MIA’s humble beginnings. She knew what was really important.

“Being in trailers doesn’t really make a difference,” LaButte said emphatically. “What was important was the teachers and the administration. It didn’t really matter where you sat in a classroom, in a portable or modular or trailer. It was really just about the people who were there and the experience that you had. I knew there was going to be a building, but it didn’t really matter, being in a building or not. I loved that school. I actually loved it. We’re close now as a school, too. But then you were always seeing everyone. Everyone was at the same place at the same time. That’s what I like about our school now, that we still keep it small in the new building. You can see everyone in one day. You pass everyone throughout the day. I am so grateful to have gone to both locations. I loved both. I think that’s what made us appreciate the building so much more, having gone through the trailers. I miss some parts of the trailers, but I love all parts of the new school as well. It was just kind of a different experience. Of course, our building now is so different than most schools, it’s so new and high tech. It's beautiful. But the trailers were such a unique location. I love the new building and I loved the trailers.”

LaButte enjoyed eating lunch on the Champagne Pavilion, an outdoor wooden deck that connected the collection of trailers on the old campus.

"When I first went to MIA, my freshman year, it was split lunch,” she said. "My sophomore year and my junior year it was all campus lunch. I loved being able to go to lunch with my siblings. We would move all the chairs and do our pep rallies there. I was on homecoming court my sophomore year. It was so cool to be in front of the whole school, on the pavilion.” 

When it came time to choose a college, LaButte’s choice of schools resembled a list of college football power programs. She was accepted to all of the colleges she applied to.

"I applied to University of Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee,” LaButte said, “all big schools. I toured University of Florida. My mom took me to a football game. I applied to big schools and little schools as well. I applied to University of Tampa and FAU. I just kind of wanted to go to a big university. I wanted the big football games and fun experience of it. I loved Florida Atlantic University. I toured the University of Tennessee and really fell in love with it. It was another one of my top choices. But I wanted to stay in state. UF was above all the rest, so it worked out perfectly. I didn’t want to be too far away from my family. And Florida is such a great school. My mom always told me I could go wherever I wanted. I just fell in love with the University of Florida.”

For her part, Tanya is excited to see her first child go off to college. And she’s glad Gainesville is just four hours from home. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for her.

"She’s the oldest,” Tanya reflects. "It’s going to be very different. We’re obviously a very tight knit family. It’s going to be very different. We depend on her a lot. I think she depends on us a lot. The hard thing for her will be missing some of the things her siblings are doing. We’re very supportive of each other. We’re always at each other’s games or events. Everyone’s always there. That will be hard. It’ll be tough. It will be an emotional day moving her in. Luckily, it’s drivable. If we need to get to each other, we can. I’m not ready to let her go. I’m trying to be strong. It’s going to be tough.”

Like the mother of many top students, Tanya has been very involved with her daughter’s educational pursuits. But she knows how to set limits.

"I think she has the perfect balance,” Skye says of her mother. "She protects us and will defend us forever. We’re always her number one. It’s always been a healthy balance."

There is another advantage for LaButte attending the University of Florida. Her longtime friend, Nicole Geddis, Lely’s valedictorian, will also be attending UF. In fact, the two will be roommates in Gainesville. Their friendship blossomed at MICMS.

"That’s when Nicole and I started becoming really good friends,” Skye said. "We had always been friends since fourth grade, but we really became closer friends starting in sixth grade. We were a lot alike. We were always in honors classes together. We always helped each other, pushed each other. Not a competition, it was never a negative relationship. It was always nice to have someone who thought like you and shared your same goals and dreams. We both had goals for ourselves that were very similar. I’m so excited. It’s cool because we started off together, then went our separate ways for high school. But we kept in touch, kept our friendship. I think it’s really neat having both Nicole and I as valedictorians of our schools. That just shows our personalities. Then going on to be roommates. We have such a cool bond. I’m just so excited for the future. I’m super excited to go to the University of Florida.”

LaButte, whose final weighted GPA was a very impressive 5.5, plans to eventually become a chiropractor following her career at UF. But she’s not ruling out a career in law.

"I want to become a chiropractor,” she said. "I wanted to go to law school at one point, and sometimes I wake up and still want to go. I’m slightly torn, still. I want to do something where I can help people. I was helped by a chiropractor. I love the chiropractic field. And the law field is the same way. I think I want to go the chiropractic path, but I’m still a little torn. I'm just excited to further my education and my journey."