Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 10668
Submitted: June 12, 2023 at 10:10:00 PM
First Name: Christina
Last Name: Hasoulas
Pronoun: she
Preferred Name: Christina
Student Number: 20285235
Email: christinahasoulas@gmail.com
Degree Program: Ed/Arts
Plan: PHIL, ENGL
Level of Study: 3
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,
I am writing to petition my requirement to withdraw from Queen’s University. Before I present reasons for my poor academic results, I would like to say that I am very grateful for the opportunity to explain myself.
In my first year of University, I gained 60 pounds, sitting at 230lb. This highly affected my self-esteem, along with a series of events from April 2022 to February 2023 had caused me to lose my focus on school, and focused on getting my health and weight back in order. I would like to share my experience starting from my first year.
When first year had begun, I felt I had lost a lot of my social skills from the pandemic and felt almost out of place, but assumed the feeling would pass. Oct. 2022, I was with my friends at Location 21 one night, and a clearly intoxicated male student approached our table and called me ‘fat’ loudly enough that everyone in the restaurant turned their head at me, and I was mortified. I had never been called something like that before. I couldn’t believe what had just happened and my overall self-esteem took a hard hit, as well as my grades because Queen’s quickly turned into an environment where I was not comfortable in my own skin. My parents encouraged me to pursue science courses when I just wanted to focus on Arts as I knew science was not meant for me which added to that feeling. Almost all of my Arts courses passed, and my science courses all failed
In May 2022, I was told I had been put on academic probation. Over the summer of 2022, I worked and spent a lot of time by myself which only brought me deeper into the problem without realizing. Within the same summer I was told we were going to visit a relative we hadn’t seen in a long time. At 8 years old, this family member has sexually assaulted me. I did not tell anyone. But that day, I had to. They were heartbroken and shocked, and it caused a riff within our entire family discussing whether to take legal action or not. I felt disgusting for what had happened to me, where I was at with school and for all the weight I had gained, how I had distanced from almost all of my friends and did not want to go out and socialize because of my weight. I was so ashamed of myself. At the end of the summer after first year, I had met a very nice boy. We were exclusive for 6 months, but in the December 2022 exam season I had randomly found out he had been involved with a girl that I knew. For many months I did not go out or see friends, I wanted to isolate myself because of how truly unhappy I was. At the end of second semester, I realized the severity of my situation with school. I picked myself up as much as possible and tried to salvage what I could in the courses I was in, knowing that the summer would be my opportunity to make the changes I needed in my life.
I am writing to petition my requirement to withdraw from Queen’s University. Before I present reasons for my poor academic results, I would like to say that I am very grateful for the opportunity to explain myself.
In my first year of University, I gained 60 pounds, sitting at 230lb. This highly affected my self-esteem, along with a series of events from April 2022 to February 2023 had caused me to lose my focus on school, and focused on getting my health and weight back in order. I would like to share my experience starting from my first year.
When first year had begun, I felt I had lost a lot of my social skills from the pandemic and felt almost out of place, but assumed the feeling would pass. Oct. 2022, I was with my friends at Location 21 one night, and a clearly intoxicated male student approached our table and called me ‘fat’ loudly enough that everyone in the restaurant turned their head at me, and I was mortified. I had never been called something like that before. I couldn’t believe what had just happened and my overall self-esteem took a hard hit, as well as my grades because Queen’s quickly turned into an environment where I was not comfortable in my own skin. My parents encouraged me to pursue science courses when I just wanted to focus on Arts as I knew science was not meant for me which added to that feeling. Almost all of my Arts courses passed, and my science courses all failed
In May 2022, I was told I had been put on academic probation. Over the summer of 2022, I worked and spent a lot of time by myself which only brought me deeper into the problem without realizing. Within the same summer I was told we were going to visit a relative we hadn’t seen in a long time. At 8 years old, this family member has sexually assaulted me. I did not tell anyone. But that day, I had to. They were heartbroken and shocked, and it caused a riff within our entire family discussing whether to take legal action or not. I felt disgusting for what had happened to me, where I was at with school and for all the weight I had gained, how I had distanced from almost all of my friends and did not want to go out and socialize because of my weight. I was so ashamed of myself. At the end of the summer after first year, I had met a very nice boy. We were exclusive for 6 months, but in the December 2022 exam season I had randomly found out he had been involved with a girl that I knew. For many months I did not go out or see friends, I wanted to isolate myself because of how truly unhappy I was. At the end of second semester, I realized the severity of my situation with school. I picked myself up as much as possible and tried to salvage what I could in the courses I was in, knowing that the summer would be my opportunity to make the changes I needed in my life.
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: If given another chance, I have already begun implementing many changes to my life to get as far away from that mindset as possible. I have calculated my GPA as well as the amount of units I need to graduate within the 6 year period allowed for Con Ed/Arts students. I have reviewed my Academic Advising report on SOLUS, and have gotten familiar with the plan requirements. I will be booking appointments with an academic advisor to discuss my situation and academic success plan. I am currently enrolled in ENGL 215 from May to July, and on my first essay received a grade of 73. I will be adding a course or two from July to August. I will be taking summer school courses every summer between years and will be taking a 6th year. I will not be enrolled in any science courses. To ensure my success in these courses, throughout the summer and on, I plan to use every resource available to me. I have been booking appointments at the Queen’s writing centre, as well as keeping in close contact with SASS for regular talks about positive work habits and any other roadblock I face. I have also been in contact with Solita Sipkins, an embedded councelor for students in the Faculty of Education. I have spoken to Solita about booking appointments periodically throughout the summer, and frequently throughout the school year. To keep a positive and healthy mindset I have started incorporating daily exercise and time outdoors, as well as making healthy food choices to keep my energy strong. Within the last year, I slowly lost the 60 lb and feel like a new person. Now that I have shared all of this with my family and close friends, I finally feel like I have the support that I need and missed. I will be regularly booking appointments throughout my years with everyone I have mentioned and will search for resources in any struggle I face rather than letting everything I face stop me. While doing school work now, I feel much more present and confident in myself that I can and deserve to achieve highly, also being two years older. I have learned how important socializing, exercising, and consistent growth is to keep away from low spirits. My sister was recently accepted into Queens for this coming fall, and I know having a family member in Kingston with me will give me additional support. I reflect on the last couple of years and see the flaws in my habits and most importantly my mindset. I will do everything in my power to continue researching, learning and striving for greatness in my third year. I used to be afraid to ask for help or seek out resources, I now feel more motivated than ever. With the positive changes I have implemented these last few months, I feel that I have gained clarity, and I am more than ready to try my best and succeed. I will use this summer very wisely to ensure that I am ready for my third year in the Con Ed/Arts program.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC
Document: Supporting Documentation-2.docx