This article presents two stories that represent a common paradigm shift at the community college level. The life journeys of Tony and Mary Ann are very different. Tony, a traditional-aged student, reluctantly entered his local community college because he was unable to prove, scholastically, that he was capable of handling the coursework at his choice flagship institution in the state. After spending four semesters at the community college, he not only proved he was able to compete academically, he also developed his leadership abilities. Mary Ann, though much older, was hesitant to enter her community college, but did so because she saw that the only way to get out of her current situation as a single-mother with growing responsibilities was to receive further education. Even though these particular students are separated by over two decades in age, their outcome was the same. Through these two highly-typical stories, the strengths of the community college transfer student can easily be extrapolated. This article describes specific characteristics that make community college students successful transfer students.