The choice of college and careers are not simple. The choices students make when selecting a college can affect them for their entire life. Tressie Cottom (2017), in her book, "Lower Ed," describes our educational journey like a stream (Cottom, 2017). We are all traveling down the stream of life, and there are rocks and forks. The question is: what diverts us on our path and where do we end up? This narrative study examines the experience of women attending For-Profit Institutions and the reasoning behind choosing to go to an FPI rather than a traditional higher education institution. The participants' stories show that they were determined to find a better career, wanted to provide for their families, and had significant life events that changed their paths. [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.]