This qualitative case study explored working class individuals' perceptions of social mobility in a changing the community. The explored community was traditionally a working class community. It was near a metropolitan area that was growing more prosperous. Many residents commuted to the metropolitan area and the community started turning into a bedroom community. The commuters' increased income had an impact on the community as it affected housing prices. Wages within the community were not increasing. The influx of jobs brought mainly the same old jobs to town. Working class individuals were not benefiting. The new wealth pushed some out of town, as the city was marketing itself to the middle class and professionals. Participants were probed about social class and their perceptions of the American Dream because the American Dream is often synonymous with upward mobility. The participants saw upward mobility as a possibility for them. However, in order to reconcile the disparity between social class and the American Dream, participants created a narrative in which they were not part of the working class. They repeated stereotypes about the working class to set themselves apart. Most frequently, they grossly underestimated working class incomes and level of education. All participants acknowledged a class system. Yet participants exhibited a strong belief in personal agency which negated structural reasons for the class system. Class was something to be overcome. Education was a focal point for all participants as they believed education to be the gateway to social mobility. Only one participant identified as working class. He was settled in life. He also believed that personal responsibility was the reason for people's position in life. The findings have implications for how to better serve working class students and how public schools should include career training and emphasize the possibilities vocational training offers. Community colleges need to be promoted and destigmatized. Several participants mentioned that money kept them from further pursuing their education. Awareness of how to access education should also be raised. [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.]