Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

During my time at Queens, I experienced anxiety and stress which resulted in a decline in my mental health. I became depressed which made it difficult to attend classes and complete my course work. My anxiety heightened, and caused a disconnect between my peers and professors. I have a diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety and depression and have been taking medication, however, this struggle resulted in me excessively using marijuana to cope, which affected my physical functioning, as well as worsened my depression and anxiety. I began isolating myself from my team due to bullying and not having a sense of belonging. The difficulties I faced at volleyball translated into my academic life severely. Being on a team with predominantly white players caused a disconnect between me and my upperclassman. I felt distress at volleyball, and found no comfort at my home in Kingston. My house was run by one of my team mates, throughout the year she treated me insensitively and made being there very hard. I struggled with self harm, and due to the bullying I faced on the team it began occurring more often, and at volleyball events. This translated into my academic life as well, with my depression worsening my will to live and self worth were at depleting. During this time I had bi-weekly sessions of counselling with Becky Haist, which were very helpful to me, however the bi-weekly rate at which we met did not meet my needs at the time. Becky recommended additional mental health services that the campus provided, for example, the walk-in therapy in the wellness centre, however the experience was very limited due to the short time. During this time we discussed options for assisted living for suicide watch purposes, however Kingston general was full. It was around this time that I took medical leave from school, in order to recover mentally.
I am looking to turn things around in my academic journey and would be very helpful and supported by the approval of this petition. Thank you!

Kya Gordon