<p>My mom had cancer when I was in freshman year, and that coincided with me going from my tiny charter middle school (graduating class of ~15) to my public high school of ~2000 kids. Anyway it's definitely an experience that shaped and changed me, but I'm not quite sure how to present it without sounding A. whiny and victimized or B. cliched and boring. I'm trying to strike a balance and create something that lets people know what is unique about how i acted in that situation and how I grew from it. Any advice?</p>