Among those set to graduate from the City University of New York this spring are a young man who went into hiding during the Rwandan genocide; an immigrant from Ghana; a native New Yorker who enlisted in the Marines after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and a breast cancer survivor.

In all, more than 35,000 students are expected to graduate from the city’s public university, joining the ranks of such distinguished alumni as the inventor of the polio vaccine, Dr. Jonas Salk, and a former secretary of state, Colin Powell. In the school’s more than 160-year history, 12 graduates have been awarded the Nobel Prize, and others have become state legislators, members of Congress, actors, writers, and researchers, among other careers.

Several in this year’s crop of graduates have already overcome adversity to achieve academic success. With history as an indicator, those motivated to get past obstacles are well on their way to reaping the rewards of success.

SURVIVING GENOCIDE TO EXCEL IN PHYSICS

Georges Ndabashimiye has lived through the kind of experiences his classmates studied in textbooks.

The 26-year-old survived the 1994 genocide in his native Rwanda by hiding at a pea plantation and later at a friend’s home, in the rain forest, and at more than one refugee camp. When he was 12, his family fled to the Republic of Congo, where Mr. Ndabashimiye survived several bouts of malaria, one so severe he slipped into a coma for several days. “It was very, very scary,” he said.

As a teenager, Mr. Ndabashimiye also survived being captured by a rebel group, and in the Congo, he lived through an attack on the refugee camp where his family was staying. His father and sister died during the attack, he said, while he and his mother survived by running into a nearby forest. “We hoped that somebody would come to our help,” he said. Several weeks later, the United Nations increased its presence there and Mr. Ndabashimiye and his remaining family returned to Rwanda.

In Rwanda, Mr. Ndabashimiye enrolled in a vocational school and earned the highest score on the country’s national graduation exam. He was named a William Jefferson Clinton Scholar by the Rwandan government, earning a scholarship to City College, where he excelled academically. He is graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in physics. In the fall, he plans to attend Stanford University, where he will seek a doctorate in applied physics.

Mr. Ndabashimiye said he aims to return to Rwanda, where he wants to apply his knowledge to machine design. “I like challenges,” he said.

DREAMING OF MEDICINE ON THE NIGHT SHIFT

An aspiring neurosurgeon, Kojo Wallace has mastered the art of sleepless nights.

Raised in Ghana, Mr. Wallace, 22, worked the overnight shift as a security guard during much of his time at Bronx Community College, where he maintained a 4.0 average in liberal arts and is the class valedictorian. After his midnight to 8 a.m. shift, Mr. Wallace would stop briefly at home before heading to class. “There were definitely times when from Sunday to Tuesday I didn’t have time to sleep,” he said.

Mr. Wallace moved to New York in 2006 to live with his father, a taxi driver, who had arrived from West Africa nearly two decades earlier. His mother stayed behind. “The whole idea is to have a better chance of success here,” he said.

Next, Mr. Wallace plans to attend Cornell University to pursue a bachelor’s degree. From there, his goal is medical school and training in neurosurgery. “I’ve always known I wanted to study science,” he said.

“Where I come from, doctors are more of a scarcity than a commodity,” he said. “I think there’s a real need.”

JOINING THE MARINES AFTER THE ATTACKS

David Morgante always wanted to become a Marine. He said he found his chance at 17, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Watching the scene unfold from home in Carmel, N.Y., Mr. Morgante, now 23, said his older friends enlisted immediately. “I can’t let these guys go without me,” he recalled thinking, as he made an appointment with a recruiter.

Mr. Morgante was deployed to Spain, where he stayed for two years. While there, he took part in anti-terrorism security operations. In 2005, he volunteered to be deployed to Iraq, where he spent seven months.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” the Marine corporal said, recalling the concern he felt for his personal safety and the safety of those under his command. After being discharged from active duty in 2006, Mr. Morgante enrolled in John Jay College. He later transferred into the CUNY baccalaureate program, where he studied terrorism and international crime. After graduating, he said he wants to work for the State Department’s diplomatic security service.

Under his eight-year contract with the Marines, Mr. Morgante could be called back to active duty at any time. If that happens, he said, “I’d go because it’s my commitment and my friends need me out there.”

FROM CUBA TO CITY COLLEGE

Raquel Hernandez, 57, waited years to earn her college degree.

First, the Cuban native and mother of three spent eight years trying to enter America, seeking a “better future” for her children. Arriving in 1988, she and her family counted among their possessions their passports and the clothing they were wearing. “We didn’t have freedom” in Cuba, Mrs. Hernandez said, referring to her decision to leave. “It’s very hard to live there.”

After settling in Queens, Mrs. Hernandez — whose husband found a job at a relative’s jewelry store — said she took classes to improve her English. In 1996, she earned her GED, and soon after she enrolled at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, seeking an associate’s degree.

Her studies were delayed in 2002, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After surgery and chemotherapy, she graduated in 2005, and one year later she enrolled at City College, majoring in liberal arts. During moments of self-doubt, she said, “I had another voice that told me: ‘Raquel, don’t give up. You’re going to get what you want.'”

Next, Mrs. Hernandez aims to pursue a master’s degree. Her goal, she said, is to work at her children’s elementary school, P.S. 66 in Queens, to help Spanish-speaking families navigate the educational system. “I want to help them because I know how it feels,” she said.egislators, members of Congress, actors, writers, and researchers, among others.

Several of this year’s crop of graduates have already overcome adversity to achieve academic success. With history as an indicator, those motivated to overcome obstacles are well on their way to reaping the rewards of success.