Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Hello,

I am writing to request Aegrotat Status for courses that I took during the 2019-2020 school year.

It was a very stressful year for me and injury and my constant struggle with mental illness as well as the Covid 19 pandemic compounded stress to a level that was beyond my threshold. As a result I was unable to complete my coursework to the best of my ability. Throughout my studies I have suffered from debilitating anxiety and depression but I have tried to battle with them but still struggle to this day. However with the support of my family, friends and community I have been able to improve significantly over the past few years.

When the 2019 Fall semester began I had a badly fractured tibia. I was unable to walk or leave the house and was in excruciating pain. I was also on medication for anxiety and depression and dealing with serious family problems. The compounded effects of my anxiety, depression, broken leg and emotional distress greatly affected my ability to complete my coursework on time. I was unable to perform simple day to day tasks and focusing on the readings or completing the work on time was a struggle for me. In the Winter 2020 semester the Covid 19 pandemic exacerbated my anxiety and I found myself spiralling into a deeper depression and fearing for my life to the point that I began to suffer from panic attacks from doing simple things such as just standing in line at the grocery store. Unable to deal with regular life made it very difficult to focus on school at the time.

I have sought help from mental health professionals and for the past several years I have been in much better shape. I have been prescribed and taking Lexapro for almost two years. I have also been working full time at Casa Mia, our small family owned business since October 2023 and becoming more responsible and able to manage my time, handle stressful situations and tackle my social anxiety head on by helping customers and the community. In 2022 I considered re-applying to school but I was not ready. Since I lasted attended Queen’s University I have taken almost a 5 year break from my studies. I have grown and matured significantly since that time. I first attended Queen’s University in 2014 and was eager but not quite ready. At the time I was young and struggled to adjust to life on my own without my family to support me. It has been over a decade and I still have been unable to graduate. I really want to complete my studies and feel that I am finally ready to begin again and give academics one more try so that I can graduate and be a better role model for my younger brothers and sister.

Thank you for taking the time to read my appeal and I hope that you consider granting the appeal to assist me in continuing my academic journey.

Sincerely,
Gazi Zawaad