The 115 community colleges in California fulfill an essential role in providing quality educational experiences for a diverse adult student population. However, U.S.-educated language minority (US-LM) students remain largely invisible in this educational context as current admissions and placement procedures do not account for their complex linguistic and educational backgrounds. In an age emphasizing accelerated learning and recent California legislation seeking to reduce student attrition by adjusting placement policies and reducing developmental course offerings (i.e., Assembly Bill 705), many US-LM students are beginning their college careers in transfer-level English. When these students are grouped together with monolingual students, however, their language identities and complex educational experiences are not always taken into account, and they may encounter faculty and peers who are not able to adequately facilitate their learning. This study explored the experiences of three US-LM students taking transfer-level English courses at a California community college through a qualitative case study methodology. Faculty perspectives were included for additional context. Results were evaluated using Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model of development (Bronfenbrenner, 1977; Bronfenbrenner & Ceci, 1994; Bronfenbrenner & Evans, 2000) and second language acquisition (SLA) theory, with an emphasis on Cummins's (1979, 2016) basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) construct. The COVID-19 educational context had a significant and potentially disproportionate effect on results as all participants were taking online courses during a global pandemic at the time of the study. Results suggest many interrelated factors influence the experiences of US-LM students, and these students should not be essentialized. Though all student participants in this study were US-LM, this aspect of their identity appeared to have little impact on their experiences in transfer-level English courses. In addition, results highlight the unique educational experiences of many college students in 2020 and 2021. Suggestions for practice, policy, and future research are included. [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.]