This qualitative case study explores the experiences and perspectives of seven diverse adolescent youth who are gifted as they navigate the social and organizational structures of public schooling as participants in gifted programming. Recent trends in education and the historical exploitations of giftedness that service the few, rather than the gifted, have relegated the needs of diverse youth who are gifted to the margins. Through the method of in-depth observation and semi-structured interviewing, the study explores what a typical school day is like and how ways of being in multiple contexts and settings influence various perspectives, interactions, and ability to find success in school. Considering the voice of the participants in the form of soliloquy, the mosaic representation of a typical school day, and assertions across the experiences and perspectives of participants expose a reality that acceptance and/or rejection of what it means to be gifted is determined by context. The complexity and ubiquity of an institutionally imposed identity and narrowing of success to mean good grades, consequently reveal that intellectual belonging is secondary to social and emotional belonging. Furthermore, participants will structure their interactions and behaviors in order to feel as though they can be the shapers of their experiences, rather than the institution shaping them. This produces different forms of struggle, compliance, and/or resistance to mainstream expectations which has implications for how other diverse resources and abilities get valued in school. The data reveal that representation of youth voices should continue informing future research extending to other stakeholders in the school context, such as teachers. Their voices should also contribute to measures related to gifted program reform and teacher development. [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.]