By the fall of my freshman year, I was well on my way to navigating high school when something unexpected came up -- a stage III melanoma diagnosis. 

I remember it vividly. It was Nov. 3, 2011 -- the first Friday I'd been invited to sit with the varsity dance team at the Austin High School football game. I had made a trip to the dermatologist after a spot suddenly appeared on my ear and began growing quickly. <...