The hours were grueling, arriving at 6:30 a.m. five days a week and working a seven-hour day with only 40 minutes of rest time and the chance to get off their feet. But the girls did more than was called for in their course, working on Saturdays in the Ke Kula Wai culinary program for Leeward youths, helping with catering duties and assisting their instructor during evening classes for adults.

They knew nothing about cooking, preparing food or operating a cafeteria but by the second week in the program they were expected to do just that, with the help of two chef instructors and the more seasoned students who had entered the program before them.

Both agree it was hard work, with high levels of frustration, intense pressure to get food out on time and a low tolerance for errors in the kitchen. On any given day the whole group was expected to prepare food for between 200 and 1,500 people.

"When you walk into this program you don't know what's coming," said Ababon, 17. "You think it's cruise like school but no, no, no. This program straightens your attitude and you really have to bite your tongue and suck it up."

But they were motivated seeing this opportunity as a last chance to earn a high-school diploma. Entering the program with seven other students, they learned the ropes of the kitchen and cafeteria duties, enduring the daily stress, scoldings, and sore legs and feet.

"When we first started doing breakfast we were so clueless," said Ababon, a senior at 'Aiea High School. "We used to get into trouble every day. It used to take us the whole hour just to get breakfast out and we were squeezing. Now we have maybe 20-15 minutes extra to just rest."

After 17 weeks they have learned to make entrees, soups and breakfasts. They can cater a party with professionalism and teach the newly enrolled students how to prepare food.

Only five from their original group of nine will graduate Wednesday, but the experience has given the girls confidence to finish high school, knowing they endured where others have failed.

Chef Diane Nazarro, who heads the program, called the program's graduating students survivors who have displayed an unbelievable commitment to finishing a tough program. Padilla and Ababon especially have grown and matured, showing greater strides because they were willing to do extra work, like the catering, Nazarro said.

"What blows me away is their young age," she said. "I have to give them the kudos for that because I don't think I could have at their age."

The course is very demanding, and it teaches life lessons such as discipline, responsibility and common sense, said Padilla, 17, a senior at Castle High School.

Plus there's a special bonding with instructors and between students who come to value each other for the ability to stay the course, Padilla said.

"Being in this kitchen, it's like we've grown so close to each other," Padilla said. "We've become like family."

Included in that family is Chef Diane and her sister Chef Loretta Monroe, who the girls refer to as the mother hen. The girls said they feel more like her children than her students and Nazarro agrees she sees them more like her own kids.

"Chef Diane is like a mentor to all of us," Padilla said. "She doesn't only give us advice about the kitchen. Sometimes we'll stay back and talk story and they'll give us advice about life."

Although the program for the girls ends Wednesday, both of them will return Thursday to help prepare Thanksgiving dinners for the Turkey To Go fund-raiser.

The girls consider it a privilege to participate and say it's all part of the learning experience.