The Metropolitan Council for Education Opportunity (METCO) has operated in the Boston and Springfield areas since 1966 and was developed as a means to fuel racial integration and provide students with greater educational opportunities. Since its existence, few studies have examined the social and emotional experiences of students participating in this school-based program. The purpose of the current study was to give voice to the lived experiences of individuals that graduated from METCO, as well as explore how participation in METCO may have influenced racial and ethnic identity development. A phenomenological approach with semi-structured interviews was used to identify commonalities across participants' experiences. Scores from a 29-item instrument assessing ethnic-racial identity were also used to support the qualitative data. Seven participants, ages 21-32, were interviewed for the study. Five major themes emerged across the data, including Experiential Benefits, Logistical Challenges, Social-Emotional Experiences of METCO Students, Navigating Several Worlds, and Relationships to Identity. Several of the major themes were further dissected to create additional subthemes. [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.]