The number of Teachers of Color has continuously declined for quite some time. As the K-12 student population becomes more diverse, the teaching population becomes less diverse, with less than 20 percent of teachers representing Teachers of Color. Teachers of Color are vital to K-12 students because they help improve students' academic achievements, promote educational equity, and decrease the rate of disciplinary actions diverse students face (Sharp et al., 2019). Researchers suggest addressing the supply pipeline to improve the low rate of diverse teachers (Carter Andrews et al., 2019; Ingersoll et al., 2019; Rogers-Ard et al., 2019). This study aimed to identify any barriers and explore current practical strategies used to recruit and retain current or former Teacher Candidates of Color (TCoCs) enrolled in a teacher education preparation program at a predominantly White institution (PWI) in Arkansas. Critical race theory provided the theoretical framework for this phenomenological qualitative study examining the cause(s) of low enrollment of TCoCs at a Teacher Education Preparation Program (TEPP) at Northeast Arkansas University. This research documents the experiences of ten participants using in-depth, semi-structured interviews that focused on understanding their perceived lived experiences while enrolled in the TEPP. The findings of the study revealed common themes that either support or hinder the successful completion of the program. By addressing the barriers that hinder successful completion and improving the implementation of the supportive strategies, teacher education preparation programs can begin to improve the number of TCoCs and ultimately lessen the shortage of Teachers of Color. [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.]