Retention of students at a college or university is one of the highest priorities for an institution of higher education. This action research study specifically investigates improving retention of high-achieving, Generation-Z students at a private, liberal arts institution in North Carolina. Participants in the Cycle 1 data collection series were students enrolled in "Fellow's Programs" that were created in order to combat lower retention rates at the research site. These students were selected based on their abilities and their willingness to take on additional challenges and work, or based upon their demonstrated interest in their academic majors. An additional action step was implemented in Cycle 2 of the study: students in the Communication Fellows program participated in a "Communication Fellows Competition." The goal of this addition was to increase collaborative learning and to connect students from different parts of the Communication Fellows program, leading to increased retention. Four groups of students completed projects for the competition (two documentaries, a short film, and a video game). Student participants and faculty leaders in the program were interviewed in order to provide an understanding of the effectiveness of the competition. The study concluded that community engagement levels did increase for participants. It also found that the main goal of the students participants was not to earn a grade, but was instead to learn a specific skill. These findings may be used to help continue the success of the Communication Fellows program, perhaps with the goal of scaling up and adapting the Cycle 2 action step for other Fellow's Programs at the research site and at similar institutions. [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.]