Background and context: High school students' interest in computing fields is not always sustained in community college due to a disconnect between institutions. Objective: To understand how cross-sector collaborations can align institutional pathways in computing. Research questions: What cross-sector practices can be used to build a computing education pathway? What practices can be used to promote student agency? How does a cross-sector partnership address issues of equity in the computing education pathway? Method: A case study of a cross-sector research-practice partnership using interviews, observations, and meeting documentation. Findings: Key strategies for aligning institutional systems to increase persistence in computing classes include building cross-sector connections and structures that support student agency, and addressing the structural factors that perpetuate inequity. Implications: The findings can inform efforts to build college and career pathways across the transition from high school to community college.