The turnaround specifics are interesting, the sort of tale a family might enjoy, smile at, ten years from now. We all have these.
For a reach, you’ve got two things going: what the adcoms learn, that they want to see (attribute related- this kid’s determined, or grew and took a few good risks, open to new experiences, resilient, reached out to help others, evolved in other active ways that make a difference, all sorts of possible plusses. These need to “show.”)
And the trickier one: how he thinks, what he thinks makes an appropriate essay for a college admit review.
It helps to consider how a reach adcom might react to working harder to impress a pretty gal. Maybe it’s one carefully worded line. But they’d like to come away with an impression he’s evolved into more, see it. So just think about how to balance.