On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed Every Student Success Act (ESSA), which reauthorized the 50-year-old ESEA commitment to equal opportunity for all students (U. S. Department of Education, n.d.). One of the provisions included all students in America be taught to high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers. As female college students continued to surpass their male peers in college enrollment and retention, a gap in the literature was found in how AVID and a sense of belonging contributed to their success rate. Through an interpretive, qualitative study, I examined the phenomenon of college enrollment and retention of first-generation Black and Hispanic female college students who participated in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) college and career readiness program. As female college students continued to surpass their male peers in college enrollment and retention, a gap in the literature was found in how AVID and a sense of belonging contributed to their success rate. My sample consisted of 18 first-generation Black and Hispanic female college students from Georgia who participated in AVID during high school. Participants completed a 14-item questionnaire and five participants volunteered to be interviewed. Through the analysis of data, I concluded participation in AVID's curriculum, implementation of organization and collaboration strategies, and support systems gave first-generation Black and Hispanic female college students the motivation and tools to persist toward a college degree. The answers to the research questions validated that the role of an AVID elective teacher has changed lives, and if implemented with fidelity, AVID strategies should be taught schoolwide. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]