Syaman Rapongan has an impressive list of accomplishments to his name. He was the first Orchid Islander to test into a Taiwanese university without a special recommendation. He is a noted author whose works include Black Wings and Recollections of the Waves.
當年蘭嶼島上第一個靠自己能力（非保送）考上大學的夏曼藍波安，如今已是知名作家，相繼出版過《八代灣的神話》、《冷海情深》、《黑色的翅膀》、《海浪的記憶》等書。