Research suggests that traditional models for principal preparation often do not adequately prepare principals for the challenges of their daily work. This study examines how one private university in the south utilized a Grow Your Own (GYO) concept to provide principal candidates with more authentic field-based cohort learning that revolved around problem solving and meeting the needs of students in their schools in real time. The GYO collaborative model provides an opportunity for P-12 and postsecondary education to merge theory and practice in an integration of expertise and resources that utilizes a course by course exploration of the domain of educational leadership--allowing for real world training with a scholarly backdrop that offers the candidate a rich and authentic experience.