In this article, the author discusses her school's ability to retain its Latino students through a college-going culture based on non-negotiables. The School of International Business of the Kearny High School community, which is part of the San Diego Unified Schools, has flourished during its seven-year history despite constant budget uncertainty and a lack of consistent support at the district level. This is, in part, due to the strength of the academic programs and adherence to discipline policies. The school's greatest victory has been the ability to retain students from the neighborhood that the school serves who might otherwise have used the district's voluntary enrollment program to enroll elsewhere. Though this has been no easy task, it has been the result of consistent and non-negotiable efforts on four fronts: (1) high expectations for student behavior; (2) the retention of a caring, committed staff determined to drive student achievement; (3) high standards for instruction and student engagement; and (4) the effective implementation of college Fast Track options for students.