Petition Letter
Hello, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing this petition regarding my performance during the previous school year. Unfortunately, due to unpredictable circumstances, during the second semester of my studies at Queens I failed to submit a large number of assignments to several of my courses, causing me to fail several of my classes which led to me being required to withdraw for a year. I want to begin by saying that I am truly and regretfully sorry for my lack of organization and dedication to my academics. I am also very sorry for the way this makes me seem as a student because my performance in these courses is not a true reflection of my capabilities as a Queens University student.
In November of 2022 around the middle of the first semester, I received word from my family that my dad was dying. Although losing a loved one is always tragic, my family's circumstances relating to the loss of my dad are a little more unique. I initially lost my father 8 years ago when he suffered from a heart attack that, unbeknownst to me, would send him into a coma that he would never awaken from. This loss was devastating for my family and many of my dad's problems and responsibilities fell on my shoulders. When the pandemic hit, my dad's health was at a high risk since his coma had severely compromised his immune system. He contracted covid several times, but the most recent time he contracted it caused some of his organs to fail(I believe it was his kidneys but I honestly can't remember, sorry) which led to my family's decision to remove his survival aids and let him pass away. This is the news I received from my mom in November, the day before my very first exam at university, and he ultimately died on December 19, 2022. I have attached a picture of his death certificate which validates and confirms his death.
Although this has been a long ongoing issue in my life, the reality of the situation only became clear to me within the last few months. Losing my dad unearthed many feelings that I've been pushing aside for the past 8 years. I've been struggling with my mental health since I was 11, but the reality of his passing sent me into a severe depressive episode that I am still fighting to overcome. On top of my own mental struggles and academic responsibilities, I've also had to travel between Kingston and my home to take care of my family, particularly my mom and younger sister since I am the oldest sibling and have had to fill my dad's shoes since the loss.
As of June, I was at the peak of my depression and could not manage to eat or sleep, much less complete my assignments or pay much attention to deadlines. In addition to this, being away from my home and family during this time of grieving caused me to isolate myself and prolonged and worsened my depression. Once the second semester had ended and I finally returned home, I was able to properly grieve the loss and began taking steps to recover. I began taking antidepressants in June which started taking effect around August, however by that time the deadline for the petition to waive my requirement to withdraw had long since passed. In the past few months, I’ve dedicated myself to bettering my mental health to return to a headspace where I could successfully return to school. I never had any intention of taking a leave of absence, but I knew it was in my best interest to take some time off from school to reach my full potential upon my return. This experience has taught me a valuable lesson in respect to discipline and I believe that if I continue bettering myself in the coming months, I will be able to make a return to school come winter semester.
Given this, I would like to request to extend the deadline to submit a petition that would waive my requirement to withdraw. The loss of my father has created many obstacles and roadblocks throughout my life, and I don’t want this experience to rob me of any more opportunities than it already has. I have done my mourning and I am ready to move past this experience to become the best and most educated version of myself that I know my father would have wanted me to become. If given the opportunity, I would be so grateful to represent Queens University as a student once again, this time as a student that the school would be proud to have. Thank you deeply for your time and consideration in my struggles, I am very appreciative and I apologize for any inconveniences I may have caused.
In November of 2022 around the middle of the first semester, I received word from my family that my dad was dying. Although losing a loved one is always tragic, my family's circumstances relating to the loss of my dad are a little more unique. I initially lost my father 8 years ago when he suffered from a heart attack that, unbeknownst to me, would send him into a coma that he would never awaken from. This loss was devastating for my family and many of my dad's problems and responsibilities fell on my shoulders. When the pandemic hit, my dad's health was at a high risk since his coma had severely compromised his immune system. He contracted covid several times, but the most recent time he contracted it caused some of his organs to fail(I believe it was his kidneys but I honestly can't remember, sorry) which led to my family's decision to remove his survival aids and let him pass away. This is the news I received from my mom in November, the day before my very first exam at university, and he ultimately died on December 19, 2022. I have attached a picture of his death certificate which validates and confirms his death.
Although this has been a long ongoing issue in my life, the reality of the situation only became clear to me within the last few months. Losing my dad unearthed many feelings that I've been pushing aside for the past 8 years. I've been struggling with my mental health since I was 11, but the reality of his passing sent me into a severe depressive episode that I am still fighting to overcome. On top of my own mental struggles and academic responsibilities, I've also had to travel between Kingston and my home to take care of my family, particularly my mom and younger sister since I am the oldest sibling and have had to fill my dad's shoes since the loss.
As of June, I was at the peak of my depression and could not manage to eat or sleep, much less complete my assignments or pay much attention to deadlines. In addition to this, being away from my home and family during this time of grieving caused me to isolate myself and prolonged and worsened my depression. Once the second semester had ended and I finally returned home, I was able to properly grieve the loss and began taking steps to recover. I began taking antidepressants in June which started taking effect around August, however by that time the deadline for the petition to waive my requirement to withdraw had long since passed. In the past few months, I’ve dedicated myself to bettering my mental health to return to a headspace where I could successfully return to school. I never had any intention of taking a leave of absence, but I knew it was in my best interest to take some time off from school to reach my full potential upon my return. This experience has taught me a valuable lesson in respect to discipline and I believe that if I continue bettering myself in the coming months, I will be able to make a return to school come winter semester.
Given this, I would like to request to extend the deadline to submit a petition that would waive my requirement to withdraw. The loss of my father has created many obstacles and roadblocks throughout my life, and I don’t want this experience to rob me of any more opportunities than it already has. I have done my mourning and I am ready to move past this experience to become the best and most educated version of myself that I know my father would have wanted me to become. If given the opportunity, I would be so grateful to represent Queens University as a student once again, this time as a student that the school would be proud to have. Thank you deeply for your time and consideration in my struggles, I am very appreciative and I apologize for any inconveniences I may have caused.