This mixed-method explanatory research examined factors that influenced Jamaican Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) members to pursue higher education. It sought to investigate whether the source of the motivation is tied to the Church's general philosophy on education or to its overall programs as experienced by the membership at large. The question of parental as well as community influence was also examined, along with other ancillary possibilities. The participants were selected from among members of the Church who hold advanced professional and academic degrees. The selection was limited to 30 persons chosen from among members of the SDA Church community in Jamaica and also from among Jamaican SDAs in the Diaspora who fit the criteria. They were chosen across a spectrum of ages ranging from 27 to 81 years old and consisted of 20 men and 10 women. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were utilized in this study. A Likert-type survey was employed, along with a semistructured interview in the collection of the data. The interpretation of the quantitative data was arrived at by an analysis of the results in the survey. The qualitative data were gleaned from the results of the semistructured interviews. The results of the study revealed that many factors were involved in the efforts of these students but that the philosophy of the Church and parental involvement were the strongest influences in the participants' going on to achieve higher education. [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.]