This qualitative study examines deeply the career trajectories of 13 women of color administrators at the dean, vice president, and president levels in the California community college (CCC) system. The study focuses particular attention on the specific opportunities and challenges that some of these women have encountered on their leadership career journeys by analyzing the following research question: How have women of color administrators navigated their career trajectories in the California Community College system? In addition, a subquestion asks, what strategies and sources of support have women of color in the California Community College system used to overcome multiple obstacles in their professional lives as administrators? In addition to describing the context of a post-affirmative action/Proposition 209 environment that does not allow race to be a sole or primary factor in CCC hiring decisions, the study reviews the relevant literature on the subjects of career development for women of color and the role of women of color in academia. The study uses as a lens for data analysis a theoretical framework that includes gender considerations (feminism/womanism), racialization (Critical Race Theory), and the intersectionality of these perspectives as a way to highlight the social constructions of race and gender that emerges from the study's data. The study uses snowball sampling to identify 13 women of color community college administrators who serve in dean, vice president, and president positions. The interview group consisted of five African Americans, five Latinas, and three Asian Americans. Each individual was asked about her education, career history, community college experience, strategies, and sources for support. The first theme that emerged, the "Traditionally Untraditional Career Path," indicated that some participants encountered racism, sexism, and cultural differences that affected their journeys. Given that these women of color have all been affected by their race, class, and gender in their careers, this situation rendered their careers inherently nontraditional. The second theme that emerged was "Strategic Connections: Strategies and Sources of Support" which revealed several elements, such as the mentoring and networking that women of color in the CCC system have used to navigate their professional lives as administrators. The third theme, "Leading as a Gendered and Racialized Administrator," highlighted the gendered and racialized positioning of women of color as administrators and emerged from some participants' experiences with overt racism, racial microaggressions, and the pressure of assimilation to a White male culture and leadership style. Implications for policy, practice, and theory are provided in the conclusion. [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.]