Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Jen Stephenson,

I am writing this letter to appeal to withdraw from my academics for a minimum of one year, beginning as soon as possible. I feel as though I¿¿ve been subjected to the extenuating circumstances as follows.
I began university in September of this year. At that point in time, I believed that I was financially and emotionally prepared to take on this chapter. However, at this point in time, I feel as if I am truly struggling in both of those areas.
I am estranged from my parents, both of whom suffer from severe substance abuse problems, and have been since my eighteenth birthday in April 2020 due to enduring years of abuse from them as a child/teen. Therefore, I have been entirely independent in paying for my own necessities as well as in saving for my tuition, and do so through working two jobs, both of which I have been employed by since 2019. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 closures from March 2020 until July 2020 impacted both of my workplaces, causing them to close for that period. As a result of this, I was unemployed during that period, which greatly impeded on my financials. I attempted to catch up on these lost funds when I resumed working in July, and did to an extent, although those savings have only lasted me up until this point (November 2020) as I have had to make due by resuming working full-time to support myself once again, causing me to fall behind in my studies. I feel as though I am currently experiencing both mental and financial crises - I am struggling to provide myself with basic necessities such as rent and groceries, and the weight of this situation in addition to falling behind in my academics and the lasting effects of abuse is taking an incredible toll on my mental health.
I have tried to remain resilient through this tough time in persevering in my academics through attempting to alleviate this burden by slowly lowering my course load (I dropped MOHK 101 in early November, and LING 100 in late November) but found it to be no help, as I am weeks behind in my courses due to having no choice but to prioritize work. After taking a long time to discuss and evaluate my options with a mentor, I feel as though my current given circumstances have absolutely hindered my ability to achieve my full academic potential here at Queens this year.
I have chosen a minimum of one year because I feel as though it is a long enough period of time for me to seek effective professional treatment for my current mental health and the lasting effects of my childhood abuse. I also feel as if one year is plenty of time to regain financial stability so that I can support myself, pay off my current tuition, and prepare for future tuition, given that there is not another COVID-19 lockdown that results in my unemployment.
I plan on re-taking every course that I had waived this year when I resume my studies at Queens following my withdrawal.

Thank you for your consideration in taking the time to read this letter,

Faith Green
20213463