Students of color lag in dual-enrollment program (DEP) participation compared to their White peers. I applied critical race theory in this qualitative study to examine the perceptions of lived experiences of college students of color who participated in a DEP in high school and were en-rolled in college. Six students of color who were currently or recently enrolled at MTYC and completed a DEP participated in the semi-structured interviews. The research question was: How do college students of color describe their perceptions of lived experiences in high-school dual-enrollment programs? Four themes emerged through a data analysis process, and a counter-story developed by centering the voices of the participants in the results. Relationships with counselors and DEP instructors are crucial for student of color access and success. Four out of six participants described their DEP courses or high schools as being diverse and how that diversity was a component to their sense of belonging. One of two participants who described their DEP experience as all-White described feelings of isolation and fear to speak up. Participants shared their perception of success in DEPs from multiple contexts, including academic, social, and personal. Participants also used contradictory emotions of fear and confidence to describe their DEP stories, and some demonstrated a shift from nervousness to capacity. In summary, the themes represent the perceptions of the participants' DEP lived experiences. [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://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]