Growing up, everyone knew that Shaunalei Awong, 30, was smart and going places, but she wasn't inspired to greatness until her own mother graduated from college in 2003.

Awong said it was more like a challenge at a time when she was constantly complaining about working as a janitor for the state at the airport and her mother was achieving numerous successes at Chaminade University.

"My mom and I have always playfully butted heads, but what was always in the back of everything was if Mom can do it, I can do it," Awong said. Then came the challenge, "... are you going to do it or are you going to keep being a janitor?"

On Mother's Day, with her mother proudly standing by, Awong received one of several awards for her accomplishments at Chaminade: outstanding graduate in historical and political studies.

Her other accomplishments, awards and honors are starting two thriving businesses as a member of the college's Hogan Entrepreneur Program; graduating summa cum laude; commencement salutatory speaker; Outstanding Hogan Entrepreneur Student; president of the history club and honor society; member of CJ Sleuths (criminal justice), English club and honors society, and Delta Epsilon Sigma; teaching assistant; and tutor.

Watching her mother, Catherine Awong, put in 12 to 15 hours a day working and going to college was an inspiration, Shaunalei Awong said.

"I would watch my mom every day worn and beaten but at the same time smiling and talking about how exciting her class was," she said, adding she wanted what her mother had.

Awong was a motivated and achieving elementary student, but when she entered intermediate school she lost her drive, she said. Her parents put her in a different school than her classmates and the effect on her personality and grades was immediate.

The teenage attitude never really subsided until she was out of school, Awong said. But before that she had a strong interest in singing and songwriting.

She started working at age 15 at a fast-food restaurant, moved out of the house when she was 18 and tried to put together a career in music but kept getting burned, she said.

In her early 20s, Awong decided she needed stability and got a job with the state, figuring that was where her future would be until her mother went back to school and showed her another option.

"I had lost sight for a while of what my capabilities were and even what my purpose was and it was easy for me to just blend into the state," Awong said. "What I realized is I have a lot of passion and a lot of things I want to accomplish and a lot of things were sent to the back burner just because I doubted my potential."

In his nearly 10 years at Chaminade, Hawaiian and Pacific history professor Frank Bailey said Awong was one of his most outstanding students.

She excelled academically, was involved in campus government and planned events for the student body, Bailey said. Awong started Chicken Skin Production to help talented residents navigate the music industry without getting burned as she did.

"She was also extremely outgoing in trying to create a family environment on campus," he said. "She was always trying to get everybody involved."

Awong took pride in being Native Hawaiian and almost seemed like she wanted to break any negative stereotype people might have about Hawaiians, but she was also committed and took personal pride in what she was doing, Bailey said.

He said he has no doubt that she will accomplish whatever goal she may have, which for now includes going to law school.

"She's going to be successful," he said. "She'll overcome any obstacle. She's a very determined individual."