Colleges and universities are trusted with the responsibility of preparing the professionals of tomorrow. However, the number of individuals seeking a profession in education has been on a steady decline over the past 4 decades (King, 2018). This deterioration of education graduates has exacerbated the issue of poor teacher retention, leading to nationwide teacher shortages. (United States Department of Education [ED], 2017). In Georgia, 26.3% of those hired in 2013 were no longer employed in the Georgia public school system by 2018, leaving thousands of teaching vacancies unfilled statewide (Georgia Professional Standards Commission [GaPSC], 2019). High rates of new teacher attrition have a significant negative financial impact on America's school districts as 40% of new teachers leave their jobs during their first 5 years of teaching, at an estimated national cost of over $8 billion annually (King, 2018; Phillips, 2015; Sutcher et al., 2019). The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of successful veteran completers of the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP), a non-traditional teacher development program. As more school districts fill vacancies with candidates who have obtained certification through alternative means, the importance of better understanding the experiences of the study participants may increase. This study may benefit organizations involved in the education, certification, and employment of educators. The information gained from this study may also be beneficial to individuals interested in obtaining a teaching certificate through an alternative certification program. [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.]