Despite the demands for innovation, adaptability, and creative problem-solving as seen in the fourth Industrial Revolution, many institutions of higher education struggle to center creativity in the learning experience. This qualitative, grounded theory study examines how first-year courses using design thinking approaches can introduce creativity and creative problem-solving to college students and how those students integrate their experiences. Three pedagogical models at three different institutions form the boundaries of the study. Data from 16 interviews highlight creative thinking actions, including flexibility and symphony, and attitudes, including agency, authenticity, and delight, as central to participants' creative self-concept. A model for creative identity formation in the first-year experience guides the translation between course design, learning outcomes, and creative identity.