In this study, I focus on the personal experiences of Latinx students who have attended San Francisco Bay Area public high schools. My research illuminates the positive and negative experiences within the public school system for Latinx, allowing students to have a voice and share their truth. I conducted used semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and Testimonio activities with five participants, four of whom made the initial transition from high school to college and one other who graduated high school but took a career pathway instead. The research highlights four components: 1) educational experiences, 2) socioeconomic status and social environment, 3) culture, and 4) linguistics. The study highlights how these five low-income, first-generation Latinx students faced many challenges during their education, but they were very resilient and did not give up. This resiliency, which derived from social, cultural, and economic circumstances extending back to students' parents' generation, enabled them to keep trying and ultimately thrive, regardless of all the oppressions and barriers. Family and neighborhood connections were seen as a positive and necessary benefit for the transition to work or college. At the same time, low economic status prevented access to innumerable college preparatory activities and resources, and participants often did not have the dominant socio-cultural capital to help them navigate smoothly beyond their high school lives. [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.]