College and career readiness has emerged as a focus for school districts as they consider how to best prepare students for the choices they make after they graduate from high school. Schools are challenged with the task of implementing supports for all students, providing a balance between academics and a focus on providing students with the foundational skills necessary to be successful in the workforce (Rennie Center, 2011). Schools must keep in mind that students begin to develop career awareness as early as elementary school and start to explore careers during middle school. It is critical for schools to provide students with opportunities to not only explore their interests but to connect academics to college and career planning whenever possible (Curry et al., 2013 Gysbers, 2013). The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the impacts of individualized learning plans when used as a tool to promote college and career readiness among students in both middle and high school. Eight one-on-one interviews were conducted with 11th grade students who have participated in using individualized learning plans since they were in seventh grade. Four themes emerged from their experiences: (1) the courses students take in ninth, 10th, and 11th grade are influenced by conversations related to the individualized learning plans they initiated in middle school, (2) students find working with a teacher mentor to be beneficial in supporting them toward reaching their goals, (3) students find it helpful to create a goal plan for each year, and (4) students find the use of individualized learning plans to be more impactful during their high school years in helping them prepare for their future. For this reason, schools should consider implementing college and career readiness interventions at the middle school level through the use of individualized learning plans that guide students in setting short-term and long-term goals for the future. [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/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]