KANE'OHE — Windward Community College student Mikki O'Phelan's body may be less than perfect, but she strives for perfection in everything she does, from her studies to her art and her tutoring.

Despite dealing with rheumatoid arthritis, a degenerative disease, O'Phelan earned a 3.93 grade average, won photographic awards and volunteers at the tutoring center on campus. All of this is done with a can-do attitude, sense of humor and smile that has inspired others.

Now after 13 years in which she repeated numerous classes, O'Phelan, 55, will graduate today from the college that has nurtured her throughout. She will continue her studies at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.

"Every day is an adventure," said O'Phelan, who made a promise to herself to pursue an education following a year in which she was confined to a bed, suffered constant pain and had to be carried to the bathroom.

"I swore ... that every day I could move that I would get out," she said.

Getting out requires waking at 4 each morning to stretch, exercise and medicate her stiff and often swollen joints, she said. She uses a wheelchair.

WCC journalism professor Libby Young said O'Phelan set a high standard for herself and was never satisfied with doing the job halfway. She would persevere with good humor and could always be counted on at deadline, said Young, the adviser for the campus newspaper.

"She kept insisting that 'I'm not a writer,' but she ended up being a wonderful writer," Young said. "She set the bar for excellence for herself and some of the best stories we had on the art program were hers."

Sometimes when O'Phelan repeated a class, it wasn't because she failed. She wanted to learn the subject better.

"I was like this big sponge and I was sucking everything up," she said. "I repeated my photo class like 10 times."

Her photographs have won awards, hung in shows and been published in books, magazines and newspapers, including The Advertiser.

A 1971 Castle High School graduate, O'Phelan attended Brigham Young University in La'ie and the University of Hawai'i before deciding to taste more of life and move to Portland, Ore., where she found a job as a leather worker.

But before she turned 20 her disease manifested itself, forcing her to return to Hawai'i and under the care of her parents.

The severe arthritis progressed but medications and surgery — two artificial hips and an artificial shoulder — helped and she soon became the caretaker of her parents.

When she turned 42, O'Phelan decided to do something for herself and the campus beckoned, she said. However, the disease had progressed to such a point that she couldn't take more than two classes a semester.

Last year, she earned the chancellor's award in drawing and painting, WCC Chancellor Angela Meixell said. O'Phelan has created photo histories of new buildings as they were built, photographed events and was always part of college activities while living with pain and reduced mobility, Meixell said.

"She comes to school, and shares her smile, positive attitude and energy with everyone," Meixell said. "She has always inspired me, and I know that she has inspired many."

Just as many people at the college have helped her, O'Phelan works to give back, whether it's lobbying for a new library, planning activities or tutoring.

Roy Inouye, director for Student Support Services, said O'Phelan volunteers beyond her paid time, helping organize parties and other events for students.

"She's just a really good person," Inouye said. "That's the bottom line."

O'Phelan said, "Some people I run into said, 'Don't you think this is a waste of time? What can you do, because you're disabled?'

"All I can tell them is it's not the end of the journey. It's the journey. I just tell them, 'What's the alternative? I'm going to stay home and just die in bed?' "