The purpose of this research was to describe how specific students, impacted by the closure of Mount Ida College, made sense of the closure. Participants included 12 former students who were enrolled at Mount Ida when administrators announced its closure in April of 2018. Data collected consisted of individual interviews as well as written reflection provided by the participants. Transcripts were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The four main findings include how the feeling of violation of trust as well as affinity to the institution can exist concurrently, the feelings of grief and loss are felt by students, failure of the destination campus to acknowledge the experience of trauma will impact student transition, and shared identity helps fuel resiliency. The study provides a deeper understanding of the transition of students who are navigating the closure or merger of their academic home. This study adds to the current utilization of transition theory and will provide practitioners with a relevant and timely study focusing on how students make meaning during an abrupt campus closure or merger. The landscape has been an uncertain one for small private colleges for a decade, but with the added strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings from this study are that much timelier and more relevant. The study holds implications for executive leadership guiding a campus through closure or merger, as well as destination campus staff who are crafting appropriate services for the students they seek to enroll and graduate. [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.]