Four years ago, they were the first four high school graduates of the Neighborhood Academy, a faith-based school in Garfield aimed at educating struggling urban youth.

Three of them were the first in their families to go to college. One was the first in her immediate family to graduate high school. Some lived with someone other than a parent, survived poverty or came from homes with drug and alcohol abuse or domestic violence.

Now three of them are the first Neighborhood Academy graduates to finish college. The fourth is determined to finish her bachelor's degree someday.

"I couldn't be more ecstatic both for them and for us," said Jodie Moore, president of the Neighborhood Academy. "They're breaking all kinds of statistics."

Today, Candycia Thompson, of Highland Park, will graduate with a major in psychology from La Roche College.

A week ago, Jana'a Washington, of Highland Park, graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania as a communications studies major and Catherine Moore, of Homewood, graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., with a writing major. At least one Neighborhood Academy leader traveled to each ceremony.

All three earned a B average or close to it in college. Ms. Thompson and Ms. Moore are looking for jobs. Ms. Washington plans to start classes at Empire Beauty School on June 1.

Angela Fowler, of Wilkinsburg, attended both La Roche and Community College of Allegheny County. She said she is determined to finish her college education in the future, but for now she is focusing on working and taking care of her 10-month-old son Noah.

The four attended the academy, where the school day runs nearly 12 hours, counting worship, classes, arts, athletics, study time and dinner. It serves students in grades eight through 12.

All 17 who have graduated from the academy since the first class have gone on to college, as the five who will graduate this year plan to do, according to academy officials. Academy staff keeps in touch with the graduates to help encourage them in college.

Ms. Washington, who earned a governor's scholarship to Edinboro, said she started making the dean's list the first semester and earned about a B+ average the second.

But in her sophomore year, she began to have academic problems. An adviser told her that she did well at first because the classes were easy, her SAT scores were low and black women usually don't do well in college.

The visit sapped her confidence.

"My GPA went down to like a 2.0," she said. "It stayed that low for a while until my junior year. My junior year, I was like, 'No, I cannot let my grades go like this.' I worked really hard and got my grades back up to a 3.0."

She talked to both Anthony Williams, an academy counselor, and her grandmother, Shirley White, and step-grandfather, Mark White, of Highland Park. Ms. Washington had lived with her grandparents since she was 13.

"My grandma was telling me I was going to do good. I was crying. I told my grandma I don't want to be there anymore. She said it's OK. You can do it. You've been doing it. You don't have to come home. Just keep going. I was talking with her every day."

Her final semester was difficult as well. To finish in four years, she signed up for a heavy credit load. Then her father, Eugene Washington, died on Feb. 16. When she came back from the funeral, she took makeup tests, but did poorly on most and had to work extra hard to bring her grades up again.

So what does having a degree mean to Ms. Washington?

"It means working hard, being able to press on, even when you don't think you can," she said.

At La Roche College, Ms. Thompson faced difficulties at the beginning.

"It was kinda hard because there was temptation," namely parties, she said. "I wasn't concentrating and I was homesick and I wanted my family."

For the second semester, she said, "I looked at my grades and said, oh, no. I can always party after I graduate. After that point, I just focused on my grades."

Ms. Thompson changed her major three times, from biology to education to psychology. She chose the first major because her mother, Deborah Thompson, had died in 2002 of mucormycosis, an aggressive fungal condition. To still get done within four years, Ms. Thompson took classes for two summers.

Catherine Moore chose Oral Roberts University at least in part because her brother Thomas went there. He graduated from Oral Roberts last year.

Ms. Moore said she already had gotten used to being away from home and having a set time to study because of the long days and evening study halls at the academy. She found some classes enjoyable and some more of a struggle.

She said she met with her adviser every semester and made sure she followed the list of classes needed.

To those thinking of going to college, she said, "Definitely take in everything you learn in college. Pay attention in class. Don't take the college experience for granted. It's only four years. It goes by so fast."

Ms. Fowler started out as a social work major at La Roche, but said in the spring semester her laptop, clothes and other belongings were stolen.

"I couldn't afford the loss. I'm not rich. I couldn't afford to lose a laptop or a winter coat or a necklace," she said.

She transferred to Community College of Allegheny County, but has faced other obstacles that have caused her to stop and start her education and work various jobs.

Her mother was diagnosed with cancer and died six months later in 2007. Last summer, Ms. Fowler gave birth to a son, Noah.

Now a single mother, she said, "He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

Ms. Fowler, who works at a day care center, said, "I'm just working and waiting for my son to get a little older so I can go back to school. I definitely want to finish school.

"I know I have the ambition and the drive. I just don't think the time is right right now. I'm a single person. I can't quit my job. I can't be welfare dependent. That's not me."

Her advice to those thinking of school: "It's not as easy as it may seem, as people make it appear to be because despite you going to school, life still happens and things may deter you."