Successful completion of a college degree is a growing necessity in the United States of America. Concerns about workforce readiness and the cost of postsecondary education make completion of a college degree a burdensome necessity for individuals and society. Important implications from higher education research have been integral in establishing support programs to enhance college and university admissions, persistence, and graduation. Exploration of students' home environments (Belasco, 2013; Wladis, Hachey, & Conway, 2018), preparation for college endeavors (Banks, 2022; Gilroy, 2014), fit in college institutions (Grillo & Leist, 2014; Lutz, Bennett, & Wang, 2017), and determination, or GRIT (Duckworth & Yeager, 2015; Oliver, 2022), have been greatly influential in shaping the current landscape of higher education practice and research. This Dissertation in Practice (DiP) introduces an original conceptual framework guided by systems theory and proposes a qualitative study exploring the impact of messages received about expectations for degree completion among college graduates. This DiP conceives of college students as agents in an educational system influenced by and acting upon messages about the importance of degree completion. The key concepts of determination, institution, preparation, and environment are identified herein as contributors to the system of higher education as integral to the student as they journey toward graduation. [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.]