Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whomever this may concern;
Good afternoon. My name is Amanda Broglio and I am a third year Political Science major here at Queen's University. After advising with academic advisor Spring Forseberg, I am looking to drop my POLS385 way after the academic deadline (to receive a NG on my transcript) in hopes of either re-taking it in the upcoming fall or substituting it with a similar stats course in the summer (pending on the approval from the POLS Department).
My extenuating circumstances have not begun this semester, however I must try to keep it short and concise. First semester of third year was my hardest semester yet, not academically, but mentally. I was working 3-5 times a week at a high-volume restaurant (Jack Astor's) which demanded a lot of time and energy from me. I was doing so to be able to pay my rent and hopefully make payments towards my line of credit, since I am completely and totally financially independent. My mother is extremely sick, being diagnosed with myalgic encephalopathy and orthostatic intolerance, and has been battling a law-suit with against her insurance company since they have refused to pay her sick-leave for the past five years. A lot of the financial burden has been put on my stepfather, who is a fantastic human being. That is why I refuse to ask them for financial help, knowing that once the law-suit is settled they'll be more than willing to help, but right now it's out of their hands so it's up to me to do what I can for myself. At the same time, I was in constant battle over the phone with my older brother who has struggled with substance abuse from the time I was a young child. This summer, he announced that his drug preference has switched from crack cocaine to crystal meth. He has ongoing issues with Immigration, seeing that he has been a landed immigrant for the past 16 years and (long story short) has become too much of a legal nuisance to keep in the country. After going to court with him, the Government of Canada imposed restrictions (Such as bi-annual drug testing, etc.) that by brother must meet in order to stay in the country. My mother tries to help the best she can, but I notice it taking a huge toll on her mental and physical health. So, I find myself being caught in the middle of all of his issues, constantly speaking on the phone with Detox facilities and rehab councillors. The issues with my brother was nothing out of the ordinary for me, I grew up with his addiction (as well as the substance-abuse problem of my biological father). For some reason, this year it just spiralled out of control and I found myself unable to control my mental emotions, but extremely reluctant to seek help and to speak to someone. Working the hours that I was, and then picking up a second job as a bartender at Stages Nightclub, my friends had asked me to slow down, they said they saw me spreading myself thin and a mental breakdown was bound to happen. My best friend Sarah pleaded with me to go speak to someone when I received the news of my father being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Instead, i shrugged it off, continued to work and believe that I could handle it all. My courses weren't suffering too much, I was handing in most of my assignments on time and sure- I was struggling with STATS (385) but that was inevitable since I was not mathematically inclined and was convinced I could play catch up near the end of the semester. I was wrong. The last week of November was absolute hell for me, for lack of a better word. I had handed in 2 assignments, worked almost every night that week, and written an in-class exam for my Philosophy course. And yet, my regression analysis remained incomplete. I could not understand anything that was on it, for I had fallen behind in the course. 4 days late, and I was still struggling with my analysis. I was having anxiety attacks daily, and trying to prepare for my other exams. I finally broke down and called my mother, informing her of all the mental anxiety and feeling of depression I felt that I was battling. She was extremely understanding, and begged me to quit one of my two jobs. She promised that everything will sort itself out, and I must take care of my own well-being first and foremost, since I had been ignoring my own personal mental health for far too long. My best friend Sarah begged me to go see someone. And finally, I agreed. I sought help from Spring Forsberg, and she was very understanding and helpful. I told her that I could not prepare for my Stats exam, because cramming for that exam would put me behind with all my other exams, as well as induce constant anxiety. So, I did not go to my 385 exam and for the first time all semester, I laid in bed and tried to relax. I probably should not disclose that, but it's the truth. And, comically enough, everything after that seemed to look up.
I finished my exams, and quit my job serving at Jack Astors (Stages shifts allow me more time before my shifts to study- a 4pm start time vs. a 930 pm start time, and both end times are past midnight so it was obvious Stages was better for me). A few days after, after 5 long and stressful years, my mother received a reasonable settlement from her insurance company. I guess we had to hit rock bottom for things to start looking up. My parents have agreed to help me with my rent for the rest of my undergraduate career, and I will continue to work at Stages as a bartender to put money towards my line of credits/pay for living expenses. Money does not solve everything, however it does help. My mother is still sick, and my brother is still an addict. I promised Mrs. Forseberg as well as my best friends and family that I will seek counselling and attempt going to therapy, for I finally realized that bottling up everything (my father, my brother, etc.) has finally shown it's toll on me. I spent the break focusing on myself, spending time with my mother and speaking to my brother. I am more than eager to start classes on Monday, and continue my 16-year long dream of becoming a lawyer. I have finally realized that my mental health comes first, and only when I am well will I be able to prosper both academically and financially. And so, that is my plan. To seek therapy once a week, and I already have done the part of quitting one out of two of my jobs, to allow more me-time and study time. I ask that you read this and not feel 'sorry' for me, for my living situation has shaped me into the strong and independent woman that I know I am capable of being. I am asking for a second chance to prove that I can handle it all, just not on my own the way I was trying to.

Thank-you,
Amanda Broglio.