Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Jenn Stephenson. PhD. Associate Dean of Studies

I am writing today to request an appeal to the requirement to withdraw for one year from the Faculty of Arts and Science due to extenuating circumstances beyond my control. This requirement letter was given to me on May 23, 2023.

The timeline of extenuating circumstances started when I started school in September 2021 when things did not start how they were supposed to go. For example, the house I was meant to live in had no roof and they put us in a model unit for an apartment building on the ground floor with no screens in the windows, no vents, and there had been people that wandered into my unit thinking it was the front door of the building as it looked the same as the front door. Ultimately, we had to fight to get out of this rental agreement and our only option was to move an hour away as nothing was available closer with the school year having already started. It also cost me more money to take the bus to school as the bus pass was not included in the fees that year.

I was excited to start school and was successful initially in completing the schoolwork, however then nearing the end of that semester, things started shutting down again due to covid. This left me in a place with difficult, toxic roommates who monopolized the dynamic and a feeling that I couldn’t leave the home due to health.

When I first came to school, my mom was also struggling with her mental health and unable to be a support to me. I am grateful that she is now doing better in this regard, as she started medication herself and checks in with me a lot more regularly to ensure I’m doing well. This was missing until recently.

After the first semester I started getting really depressed and moved in with Tayvis in Alberta as school was only online. This relationship turned out to be different than I expected once I moved out there and I felt very alone with him, unable to share information or struggles as he was judgmental and unsupportive. That’s when I started self-harming and returned back to Kingston to live again with the toxic roommates. I was ultimately taken to the hospital because of self harm. My mental health got worse and worse as time went on which included not being able to return to classes as I was so overwhelmed with how far behind I had gotten while school was only online and my mental health had been worsening. Looking back, there are things that I would have done differently now, but I cannot go back in time.

In the summer of 2022 I had to focus on making money, as I hadn’t had OSAP for the first year or any support from my family financially. Debt was climbing on credit cards even though I had been working 25-35 hours a week to support myself. This excess number of hours of work also severely impacted my ability to focus on school as I was just trying to survive financially. I had started Zoloft and this was ineffective for me. It made me feel like I couldn’t eat as I was heavily nauseas and it sedated me into a numbness where I felt I couldn’t accomplish things.

In September 2023, I was living with better people and was excited to do better in school, but the numbness turned into anxiety again once school started. This translated into being unable to leave bed for a week. I met Jack during this time, and he monopolized my time as he was injured….

I also started Lexipro medication instead of the Zoloft at this time, and there was still no motivation to do things even as small as personal hygiene, or eating, let alone being able to accomplish school. By March 2023 I had another consultation with my family doctor, and we added Wellbutrin medication. This was the first point where it felt like things started to shift with my mood. I was able to wake up and it wasn’t exhausting to do the tasks to start the day and tackle schoolwork. However, I was severely behind in schoolwork at that point, embarrassed at where things were at when I had been an A student in high school, and unable to seek help. I regret not dropping those classes but felt immobilized at the situation. I wasn’t able to make up for all the missed time to complete these courses successfully.

Now things are different for me. I have been able to cut back hours at work as I have been successful in getting OSAP money. This leaves me more time for focusing on school and less stress about simply surviving. I joined a club this summer which is amazing and is building my community on campus. This sense of community is something I had no time or energy to pursue previously and it positively impacts my week. I now have more external support as well, including regular calls with my family doctor, and regular bi-weekly counselling sessions with Janice Hillier at Rising Hope Counselling. Wellbutrin is something I continue to take and it combined with Lexipro is the perfect medication combination to fight the anxiety and depression with which I have struggled. I have been taking courses this summer and have been doing well in them so far with marks ranging from B’s to 100%. This is clearly more indicative of my capabilities.

I am also expanding my network of support through Queens by engaging with the Student Success Services, the Learning Strategist and Academic Advising individuals. Reaching out to these people was a task I couldn’t even fathom being able to accomplish just a few months ago.

I really want to return to school in the Fall as I believe I am in a better place mentally and with healthier roommates, and have engaged in both informal and formal support. I am also financially more stable at this time due to less work hours, but more OSAP money available.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter,

Rylee Pawlikowski