Student Applying to College Learns His Biggest Advocate Has Cancer It seems that life is constantly testing us, presenting us with obstacles that are not as easy to overcome as filling in bubbles on an answer sheet. November is when the early applications to some of my prospective colleges are due. This is the month that the college process gets real. November has also been a test for my family. It began with a conversation on a Sunday morning. My mother and I had discussed a last-minute college visit trip, but she told me she was not feeling well. As I looked to the next weekend for a train ticket, she told me she still might not be up to it. Something was wrong. "I have breast cancer," she said. She had known since August but wanted to wait to tell me until after I had finished submitting my college applications. My mind immediately imagined the worse. I didn't want to picture my life without my mother at this age. I wanted to shut down and feel sorry for myself. But at the same time I knew that was exactly what my mother wanted to prevent during this pivotal time in my life. As much as my mother wanted to wait to tell me, she just couldn't hold it in any longer. She was having surgery on Wednesday. My mother has always been my advocate. I wanted to be hers. So, I pressed forward. I continued to fill out college applications. I found comfort in the routine of filling out those forms. Five days later, my applications were due and my mother was having her surgery. That night while my mother was home recovering, I received a phone call. It was from the Posse Foundation. This was the call that we were hoping for. The Posse Foundation works to identify and train student leaders from urban public schools. It then sends these students to top-tier colleges in groups of 10, known as a posse. The built-in support network a posse offers is a huge draw to the program. Being different is not always easy, so having a posse would be a huge help. Before the call, I underwent two rounds of interviews. The first round was a group interview; the second was an individual interview. Both interviews were extremely exciting. The Posse staff is incredible, and they take a genuine interest in getting to know the students they are interviewing. The students that I met during those interviews are all incredible leaders. I love Posse's mission of creating a network of leaders who represent all voices in America. When I made it to the second round of Posse, I was told to pick three of its partner schools that I would be interested in attending. My top choice was obvious: Vanderbilt University. I became interested in Vanderbilt after meeting an admission representative at my school's college fair. The countless opportunities that Vanderbilt offers its students to engage in the community really interested me. My mother also thought it was a perfect fit. Vanderbilt's human and organizational development major is an amazing and unique program. It focuses on finding solutions to human problems. This major is perfectly tailored to what I want to do. I want to advocate and improve life for students with disabilities, as my mother has always done for me. The Posse Foundation was calling to inform me that I was a finalist for the Vanderbilt University Posse. My mother was extremely excited for this opportunity that was presented to me. For 17 years of my life, my mother has been my posse. She still is. My mother has always been a hard worker, which has encouraged me to also work hard. She never gives up, so I never give up. My mother also taught me how to advocate. She encourages me to use my voice to help others, which is why I am open to writing about her story. I know others are going through similar experiences, and so I hope this story offers some comfort to them. November has been a test of balance for me, as I cope with my mother's illness and I apply to college. But as I look ahead, I am grateful to have the chance to make her proud. Mr. Stromer, a student at the New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies, is one of eight high school seniors around the world blogging about their college searches for The Choice.