Colleen Grady can pinpoint the moment her life changed.

It was September 2000. Grady, an attorney for an international law firm, was vacationing with a friend in Cambodia.

''I saw kids bathing in the same water as oxen,'' Grady said. ``It really affected me.''

Growing up and volunteering in Broward County, Grady -- the 1988 Silver Knight winner for general scholarship -- knew she had to do something.

She looked into ways to help poverty-stricken children and kept coming across international adoption.

Single, 30, and highly successful in her legal career, Grady doubted whether adoption was the right choice for her.

But she took a chance.

In 2002, Grady adopted brothers Luke and Alexander from an orphanage in the Ukraine. A year later, she returned to the country in eastern Europe to adopt another boy, Nicholas.

Now, the family of four lives in a cozy Plantation townhome with a large backyard, a nearby fishing lake and a pool.

It's far different from what Grady's sons left behind.

''My orphanage was like a prison. It had gates around it,'' said 13-year-old Alex. ``Whenever we ate, we always ate the same thing. I hated it.''

Nicholas, who was homeless before moving into the Ukraine orphanage, says he will never forget the day he was told he was moving to America.

''I couldn't believe I was going to get adopted and have two brothers,'' he said. ``It was very nice. I was so happy.''

Nicholas, 12, calls his mom an angel.

''She really changed my life,'' he said. ``I love her very much.''

When Grady brought the boys to the United States, she enrolled them in public schools, where they quickly learned English.

All three began playing sports, keeping Mom busy driving them to practices and cheering at weekend games. They also see a lot of their grandparents, John and Joyce Grady, who live nearby.

Grady, now 38, says she wants her sons to take advantage of the opportunities in the United States, especially education. She hopes all of them earn college degrees.

Grady, herself, has three: a bachelor's in education from Barry University, a degree in law from the University of Miami and a master's in education from Nova Southeastern University.

Her life experiences, including her Silver Knight win, have contributed to her success, she said.

For 50 years, The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald have presented the Silver Knight awards to high school luminaries in honor of their community service and academic excellence.

Grady won the Silver Knight after working on several service projects, including waterway cleanups and a volunteer stint at a low-income day care center in Fort Lauderdale. She was representing St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale.

TROPHY A SIGN

''I remember feeling so worthwhile,'' she said about the night she was given her trophy at the Parker Playhouse. ``That recognition summarizes your commitment and a sign of your integrity.''

Still, two decades later, Grady treasures the trophy, her Silver Knight application and a newspaper article featuring the winners. It's also a good conversation piece.

''People are really impressed by it,'' she said. ``I think it says a lot about your character.''

Becoming a mother dramatically changed Grady's fast-paced lifestyle.

A year after adopting the boys, she quit her job at the Miami office of White & Case, an international law firm with more than 2,300 lawyers worldwide.

''I decided that as much as I loved my work, I was really afraid I'd regret the time I missed away from my kids,'' she said.

After teaching fourth grade for a year at Plantation Elementary, she decided to combine her two passions -- teaching and law.

In July 2005, Grady landed her ''dream job'' as a professor at NSU's law school, where she teaches legal analysis courses to second- and third-year law students.

She is also training to become a Guardian Ad Litem, someone who looks out for the best interest of children in foster care during the legal process.

For now, Grady is focusing her time on her children -- and a few others overseas.

Though she has no plans to adopt again, Grady sponsors two children in Ukraine orphanages. She sends them letters, care packages and money for their education.

LENA'S DREAM

One of the children she helps is 15-year-old Lena, who dreams of becoming a nurse.

Lena writes letters to Grady and her boys almost every week. Sometimes she requests the family send her essentials, such as sanitary pads, tennis shoes, shampoo and deodorant.

For $40 a month, Grady said she is committed to funding Lena's education so she can avoid a life of prostitution -- a path taken by many poor, young women in Ukraine.

She also sponsors Sasha, 12, whose requests are rather simple to fulfill.

''He loves sporting goods, like balls,'' she said. ``He also asked me for a pillow, so he wouldn't have to a roll up a blanket to sleep on.''

That same selflessness is what made Luke Grady, 15, the oldest boy in the clan, instantly love and appreciate his mother.

''We're lucky because she picked us,'' he said. ``She's the best Mom anyone could want.''

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