Ninety-seven foster youths who graduated from local private and public high schools across the state this spring were commended at a luncheon at Washington Place yesterday for their achievements.

The luncheon, hosted by the Department of Human Services, was attended by 77 of the honorees, many of whom arrived from Neighbor Islands.

"This event is to acknowledge and congratulate the grads who have made it this far," said Wendy Peltier, 21, president of the Hawai'i Foster Youth Coalition, a youth-led organization that provides support and opportunities to youth in foster homes.

Peltier, herself a graduate of the state's foster-care system and now a student at Honolulu Community College, acted as a foster parent for her brother, sister and her sister's daughter. She held her niece on her lap during part of the luncheon today.

Chantell Tautua, 18, a graduate of Pahoa High School on the Big Island, was one of the graduates. Tautua, who plans to study business management at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo this fall and to obtain a law degree, recently won five scholarships upon her recent graduation.

Throughout high school, Tautua lived in four foster homes and "had to work for everything." She juggled high school classes with a nearly full-time job at McDonald's in Keau.

Her goal of becoming a lawyer coincides with her desire to "help not only foster youth, but troubled youth in general."

"Each and every one of you who graduated today are role models," said Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona during the invocation. "Each and every one of you are leaders."

On any given day in Hawai'i, there are 2,100 foster children who do not live with their biological parents, Human Services Director Lillian Koller said at the luncheon.

"That's still a horrifyingly large number, but it's down a lot," she said.

Koller spoke about the many unique challenges faced by youth in the foster-care system and encouraged the attendees to "be role models, stay connected and encourage other children to make the same decisions you've made."