This two-year case study summarizes the views of students, instructors, and administrators toward a learning community program that served first-year developmental reading students at a public two-year college. One-on-one interviews and focus groups revealed that semester-long learning communities helped students overcome obstacles toward academic success by providing students with opportunities to: (a) seek help on campus, (b) develop time management skills, and (c) obtain career guidance. Research participants reported that the program (a) eased students' transition to college-level courses, (b) fostered a sense of community, (c) boosted academic confidence, (d) improved attitudes toward reading, and (e) increased student persistence. Using a grounded theory approach, a conceptual model is proposed for understanding how learning communities may shape the trajectories of developmental students.