But this morning, by signing a National Letter of Intent to accept a full volleyball scholarship offer from the University of Miami (Fla.), Ma'a took that first step toward establishing an identity that is totally her own.

"It should be interesting because no one really knows me there -- which I like -- and I can do my own thing," said Ma'a, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter who helped Kamehameha win three state championships before a runner-up finish this season. "It feels good, it's exciting because now I know what (my parents) went through."

Ma'a was one of seventeen O'ahu athletes who signed letters of intent simultaneously at a gathering hosted by the Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance at the Honolulu International Airport Conference Center.

Pono Ma'a, himself a former scholarship athlete at UH, said his daughter already distinguished herself with self-motivation.

"She picked her own path -- she tried soccer and basketball, but volleyball felt natural to her and she stuck with it," Pono Ma'a said. "Because we were busy with the younger kids, we never traveled with her (to Mainland tournaments) so she's done a lot on her own. And being the oldest child, she took on a bigger chunk of the responsibility at home. I think that makes this even sweeter for her."

Ma'a said she received offers mostly from West Coast schools, but Miami "was the best fit."

"I was keeping my options open, but Miami was the best fit so I wanted to go there regardless of how far it is," she said. "I feel like my parents have already done so much for me, and college is so expensive, so I'm lucky to have the opportunity to get a scholarship."

For Kapolei pitcher Trey Kamachi, he had his sights on playing baseball at Arizona State even before the scholarship offer came last summer.

"It's been my dream school -- ever since I saw that field, I fell in love with it and wanted to go there," said Kamachi, a right-hander who was the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's Red Conference Western Division Player of the Year last season. "Right before our first football game in August, they called and said, 'How would you like to be a Sun Devil?' It was awesome."