Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

I am writing today to ask you to please reconsider the decision to require me to withdraw for the coming academic year. Failing is not something I am used to or take lightly, I wouldn't ask for this opportunity if I did not truly believe it would result in a different outcome. I want to assure you that my situation will be completely different next year and that attending Queen's in the 2021-2022 school year is not only manageable, but in my best interest. Although I respect the reasoning for this process, I know this is not a chronic issue that I face and being away from my schooling and my peers for so long would actually be the worst thing for me. I don't need a year to think about where I want to go with my education. I know I want to be in school. My struggles this year stemmed from the fact that I was not there.

Beginning last summer, I found myself depressed with my situation. As I had a short experience with situational depression in ninth grade, which in no way affected my studies, I did not foresee it to be so impactful. However, it got progressively worse for months and was extremely debilitating in a way I had never experienced before. Looking back, I believe this was due to the fact that there wasn't an end in sight to look forward to or a way for me to change my situation with personal actions the way I had in 2016. I struggled with the social isolation, the almost totally asynchronous nature of my classes and my overall hopelessness about the situation. It was so strong I did not even have the energy to attempt to seek help. I had no interest in things I normally love doing, not just school but physical activity, reading, communicating with friends and family-- everything. This past year I felt trapped in my home, with my parents and two younger brothers all on top of each other. It was stressful, loud and disruptive with all five of us working from home or attending online school.

My isolation was truly more intense than essentially everyone my age I know. My mom and I have an autoimmune disorder which does not really affect our lives, normally, but it did make us more vulnerable if we caught COVID, especially her as she is over 50. So, I essentially did not see anyone outside my immediate family for 14 months. This was made even more difficult by seeing my peers' social activities, seemingly unaffected by the pandemic and behaving like it didn't even exist for our age cohort. I was severely depressed and felt like I was missing out on 1/18th of my life thus far.

While many high school seniors were upset over missing graduation and prom, for me, dance was also one of the most important things in my life for years and I was also reeling from the loss of that chapter of my life without having a proper goodbye. I danced competitively throughout highschool, sometimes 20 + hours a week. I balanced this commitment while maintaining a high average and excelling in my classes. The stark change in my life in combination with not having the true university experience to look forward to left my life empty.

However, in late April this year, things quickly started to turn around. My parents and grandparents had received their first doses and I was able to schedule one for the 3rd week in May, much earlier than I had expected. In order to get myself back on track, I took the initiative to enrol in summer classes. I'm submitting quality work. The feedback I have gotten so far this semester has been positive and I am really enjoying the discussions and material. While the situation is not yet ideal, the hope I have of actually being in Kingston has allowed me to push through. Finally, being able to see small groups of friends outside has also proved energizing.

I have made many steps in the past few months to ensure the situation would be dramatically different next year, allowing for success in my studies. I have already signed a lease for a house with 4 other girls who are very studious and academically inclined. We have made plans and I know that being around other people my age with the same priorities, who are focused on studying, will allow for a much more conducive environment.

Although I am feeling immensely better, I acquired a requisition from my doctor and have set up an appointment with a therapist so I can continue with this momentum. I plan on setting up a consistent schedule to aid me throughout the school year when I find a good match.

I can't stress how different things have become in the last few months and they continue to get better every day. I truly believe the best thing for me is to be at school learning with other people who are actively interested in the same topics as myself.

I have attached a letter from my doctor, my parents and other supporting evidence.

Thank you,

Alannah Moss-McLaughlin