Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am writing this letter to request academic consideration in the form of a late drop, and credit received standing for some of my courses from the previous academic year. I am making this request because of the ongoing extenuating circumstances that significantly affected my mental health, academic performance, and ability to fully participate in my studies.
Last year, I experienced a difficult personal situation involving someone I had trusted and considered a friend. That trust was broken, and at the time, I did not fully understand the impact the situation had on me. I felt overwhelmed, confused, and unsure of how to process what had happened. I also felt pressure from others to kinda forgive the situation and move on because that was the easier thing to do. As a result, my anxiety increased significantly, and I struggled to focus on school. This directly affected my academic performance and prevented me from achieving the grades I needed to select a plan in my first year.
I took the time over the summer to reflect on my year and the changes I wanted to make. I didn't want this one situation to define me. Speaking to my parents and doctor, I was able to access CBT therapy, which helped me better understand and manage my anxiety, including my test anxiety. This support allowed me to develop healthier coping strategies and plans for how to access resources if I began struggling again.
When I returned to school, I hoped for a clean, fresh start. I was motivated to improve and had strategies and resources in place to support my academic success. However, I later realized that the individual involved was in one of my classes. Despite making it clear that I wanted distance, the individual repeatedly crossed boundaries by sitting beside me and trying to speak with me. This made it increasingly difficult for me to feel comfortable attending class, and eventually it began to affect my attendance in that course and in my other courses as well. I found myself avoiding campus and attending classes only when I knew the individual would not be present. Although I was trying to manage the situation, my anxiety became much worse, and my academic performance suffered as a result.
Since then, as I have returned to the winter semester and have reached out to SVPR, I was told the individual has now dropped out. Due to that I have been in a much healthier place and have been working hard to rebuild my academic standing. I've also received significant support from SPVR during this time. I have seen significant improvement in my performance and have taken steps to demonstrate that my previous grades did not give an accurate reflection of me and my abilities. For example, I retook one of my courses and improved from a D to an A, demonstrating that when I am in a stable environment and have access to the proper support, I can understand the material and succeed academically.
I have also become involved in a research lab with one of my professors, who recognized my potential and encouraged my academic growth. I am very interested in continuing with research and pursuing further studies in the future. However, I am concerned that the grades from the period when I was experiencing these circumstances will continue to affect my plan selection this summer, academic record, and future opportunities, even though they do not accurately reflect my capabilities.
For these reasons, I request that the academic office consider granting a late drop and/or a credit received standing for the affected courses. I understand the importance of academic responsibility, and I am not trying to avoid accountability for my studies. I've tried to demonstrate change and the fact that I'm not letting this one event define me, and I'm doing better.