HONOLULU -- The inauguration was shown live Tuesday morning at President Barack Obama's old stumping grounds: Punahou School.

Punahou had a variety of activities to mark this historic moment centered around the school's now most famous graduate.

The 400-plus students, parents, teachers and faculty watching Obama's swearing-in ceremony exploded into applause.

Afterwards, you could hear a pin dropped as they listened to Obama's first speech as president of the United States.

"Starting today we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," said Obama.

The moment was not lost on the students in attendance.

"I think it was really powerful because he just someone who tried really hard and this is such a historical moment. I think it was really a good experience," said eighth-grader Miranda Lum.

"It's because a person who came from here and was born here is going to be president and I'm happy for him," said second-grader Megan Kobayashi.

First-grade teacher Danette Kobayashi watched with her daughters Alayna and Megan, who are both students at Punahou, and said the entire school community is proud.

"But it's also a statement for everyone in Hawaii. No matter where you're from, we all walked the same streets and swam in the same ocean and the possibilities are open to everyone," said Kobayashi.

"I think it gives me hope for the future of our country. But then it also says something about our school," said seventh-grader Alayna Kobayashi.

The students said Obama's achievements are already having a big impact on them.

Many students said they want to do better in class because they found out that a graduate of Punahou became president of the United States.

"You've gone to the same school and the same state and it's really given us recognition and heck, it will look better on the resume that we went to the same school as Obama," said eighth-grader Keith Dowsett.

Punahou is using the day as an educational opportunity, studying the national deficit and bailout in math classes and the power of persuasive speech in English. But the most important point is potential realized.

"I hoped what every student felt as they watched that speech is that they all have that potential. We want them to dream that they have that potential, that capacity," said Punahou Junior School Principal Mike Walker, "and we hope that was the seed planted today."