Punahou School students and other young golfers from around the island spoke highly of Michelle Wie yesterday, and many were amazed by her generosity.

The 15-year-old Punahou junior received kudos following her $500,000 donation to the U.S. Golf Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.

Here's a sampling of what her peers said about her:

REALLY DOWN TO EARTH

"You wouldn't think anyone in your class would get to do that, so people were like, 'Wow, that's really cool.' It's cool to go to school with someone who's always on ESPN. When I first came here in ninth grade, people (from outside) asked me what she's like, but she's really down-to-earth and really grounded. If you sat down and talked to her, you would never know she's a pro athlete.

"($500,000 to the Hurrican Katrina fund is) a lot of money to give. You don't see LeBron James doing that."

JONAH ELISHA | HAWAI'I KAI, 17, PUNAHOU JUNIOR

THINGS WON'T CHANGE

"Everybody was talking about it (on campus) today, but I don't think anything will really change because she was already well-known before. She gave $500,000 and that was a really nice thing to do. I think everybody will think higher of her for doing that."

SHE'S READY FOR PROS

"I think it's a good move, because she proved she can compete. Some (young) athletes want to make the money now, but they're not ready. But she's clearly shown she can do it. The opportunity is there, so why not take it?"

PROUD OF HER

"I'm kind of happy for her that she turned pro. I'm not really surprised. I saw her at all these tournaments and she did really well."

GOOD ROLE MODEL

"I think I can learn from her, especially from watching her on TV. I can learn how she swings it. Her swing is very strong and powerful.

"I think that's very surprising (that Wie shot better scores than some PGA Tour pros ) because usually men are better in sports. ... I think it would be very interesting if I beat a boy in sports."

KRISTYN CAMPBELL | MCCULLY, 10, 5TH-GRADER

GIVING PERSON

"I think she's special because, like she said on TV, she'll give money to Hurricane Katrina victims and civilians that need it. I want to be like her because she's a good person and she likes to help people."

JUST ANOTHER STUDENT

"Everyone else on the outside world makes like it's a big deal, but here she's pretty much just another student. Sometimes she stands out because she's so tall, but people here are not star-struck by her."

ANH TRAN | KALIHI, 16, PUNAHOU SENIOR

BIG INFLUENCE

"In 1998, there was a junior golf boom with Tiger Woods. It was pretty cool to be a golfer. Now, with Michelle, we have another surge of junior golf in Hawai'i. We have a lot more girls playing now. She has definitely stirred some interest with girls playing more golf. It's nice for us to get the recognition, but it's not why I teach. I teach for the love of the game, and for the love of watching these kids develop."

GOOD FRIEND

"I'm pretty happy for her because she's one of my friends. I'm happy she's turning pro and gets to compete with older competitors. She almost won an LPGA tournament. I think she's already a nice person, and she's a good golfer at a young age. That's what's making a lot of girl golfers so motivated because they want to be just like her."

SHE DREAMS BIG

"I'm really amazed because she's doing really good. I feel that if she can turn pro, I feel like I can do the same thing, too."

BUDDING STAR

"She must have worked very hard for that great achievement. I really think that if she keeps playing and she had no other disruptions or injuries, she may possibly become one of the greatest golfers.

"I want to be like her. When I come around 15, I want to play on women's amateur tours and have all this ability like Michelle. I still have a lot to learn, but I love it. It's fun."

SHE'S SPECIAL

"I feel amazed because she's young and turned pro at a young age."

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com and Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.