This study examined the collegiate experience of strongly ethnically identified Italian American college students and sought to understand how they made sense of their experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants who graduated from a Bachelor's degree program in the United States within the last five years. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was selected as the research approach, as it provided the researcher the opportunity to understand the participants' lived experiences. Four themes emerged from a careful analysis of the interview transcripts. The themes were Identity Development; Commitment to Ethnic Identity and Preservation of Customs and Culture; Peer, Academic, and Co-Curricular Collegiate Experience; and Familial Expectations and Personal Achievement Goals. Nine related subthemes were also identified. The findings of this study confirm published research related to Italian American ethnic identity persistence, family relationships, and work ethic, and revealed new findings related to the experience of Italian American college students today. Findings suggest that Italian American college students have a complicated understanding of their own Whiteness; feel connected to their ethnic identity and responsible for the preservation of Italian customs and culture; and have high ambitions for their professional achievement. Recommendations for practice are shared and suggest that colleges and universities should create opportunities for college students to understand and explore their own identities, provide opportunities for parent and family engagement, and offer faculty and staff training related to ethnic identity. Keywords: Italian American, ethnic identity, higher education, acculturation, college. [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.]