Petition Letter
Dear Dr. Dorit Naaman,
On September 15th, 2024, my paternal grandmother passed away. During this time, my parents were starting their separation. This period was very difficult for me, as I was grieving both my grandmother and my parents' marriage. My family was under a lot of financial and emotional stress during this time, particularly my father. The months of September-December 2024 mark a period of time that I felt very helpless. Looking back, I was grappling with a lot of guilt from not being able to be there for my parents, who were struggling, and my younger brother, who was struggling even more. I tried to be present as much as I could, often travelling back to Toronto to see my father, to help with house hunting, to help my brother with school, or to help mediate my parents. But during all this, I was not processing my own grief, and it came out in moments when I wasn't around my family, like at school for instance. I began suffering from anxiety and short-term depression. At this time, I simply did not have the emotional bandwidth or mental capacity to put in as much effort needed to succeed in my classes. The class that suffered the most was LAW 202, as it was an asynchronous class that required higher levels of self-regulation and time management than my in-person ones. I ended up missing a couple discussion posts, and failing to finish a large component of my final project, which resulted in a D+. A lot of the work I did submit was poor quality and not a true representation of what I am capable of.
As I crossed over into the winter 2025 semester, the initial shock of my grandmother's passing started to fade, and my grades started to improve slightly. However, I still had persistent mental health issues that I wanted to address. I began therapy and started new ADHD medications that have helped with my focus towards the end of the winter 2025 semester. Finding an ADHD medication that works for me allows me to choose what to focus on. Previously, I would helplessly hyper-focus on a guilt-driven responsibility to my family, while now I can easily direct my focus onto schoolwork, self-care, friends, and my health. My therapist has helped me unpack the emotions I was storing, and I have improved immensely with an outlet and a support system. Now, I am on track for all As this semester (still waiting on one grade)! Most importantly, I am confident that if a similar situation were to arise, I am now well-equipped to handle it without it negatively affecting my school work. I have learnt that time-management, prioritizing my goals, investing in my mental health, and balancing self-care with familial responsibilities are of utmost importance to be a functioning adult. Therefore, I pour all my energy into these things and can now confidently say that this whole experience has shaped me for the better.
I believe that my extenuating circumstances affected me the most throughout the fall 2024 semester, most notably in LAW 202, which is why I am requesting a credit standing for this course. Since starting therapy and ADHD medications, I can confidently say that I have overcome my challenges. I hope that my large increase in grades in the 2025 fall semester can serve as proof of what I am capable of without the challenge of extenuating circumstances. I hope to do good things with my life, and with my new support system and the life lessons I have learned, it doesn't seem like a fantasy anymore. In removing this grade from my transcript, my GPA will rise and it will give me a better shot at grad school and other opportunities. Therefore, I would be extremely grateful if my circumstances could be taken into account and my request for a credit standing in LAW 202 be approved. Lastly, I apologize for the late submission as this is a process I was only made aware of very recently.
Sincerely,
Chloe Yamin
On September 15th, 2024, my paternal grandmother passed away. During this time, my parents were starting their separation. This period was very difficult for me, as I was grieving both my grandmother and my parents' marriage. My family was under a lot of financial and emotional stress during this time, particularly my father. The months of September-December 2024 mark a period of time that I felt very helpless. Looking back, I was grappling with a lot of guilt from not being able to be there for my parents, who were struggling, and my younger brother, who was struggling even more. I tried to be present as much as I could, often travelling back to Toronto to see my father, to help with house hunting, to help my brother with school, or to help mediate my parents. But during all this, I was not processing my own grief, and it came out in moments when I wasn't around my family, like at school for instance. I began suffering from anxiety and short-term depression. At this time, I simply did not have the emotional bandwidth or mental capacity to put in as much effort needed to succeed in my classes. The class that suffered the most was LAW 202, as it was an asynchronous class that required higher levels of self-regulation and time management than my in-person ones. I ended up missing a couple discussion posts, and failing to finish a large component of my final project, which resulted in a D+. A lot of the work I did submit was poor quality and not a true representation of what I am capable of.
As I crossed over into the winter 2025 semester, the initial shock of my grandmother's passing started to fade, and my grades started to improve slightly. However, I still had persistent mental health issues that I wanted to address. I began therapy and started new ADHD medications that have helped with my focus towards the end of the winter 2025 semester. Finding an ADHD medication that works for me allows me to choose what to focus on. Previously, I would helplessly hyper-focus on a guilt-driven responsibility to my family, while now I can easily direct my focus onto schoolwork, self-care, friends, and my health. My therapist has helped me unpack the emotions I was storing, and I have improved immensely with an outlet and a support system. Now, I am on track for all As this semester (still waiting on one grade)! Most importantly, I am confident that if a similar situation were to arise, I am now well-equipped to handle it without it negatively affecting my school work. I have learnt that time-management, prioritizing my goals, investing in my mental health, and balancing self-care with familial responsibilities are of utmost importance to be a functioning adult. Therefore, I pour all my energy into these things and can now confidently say that this whole experience has shaped me for the better.
I believe that my extenuating circumstances affected me the most throughout the fall 2024 semester, most notably in LAW 202, which is why I am requesting a credit standing for this course. Since starting therapy and ADHD medications, I can confidently say that I have overcome my challenges. I hope that my large increase in grades in the 2025 fall semester can serve as proof of what I am capable of without the challenge of extenuating circumstances. I hope to do good things with my life, and with my new support system and the life lessons I have learned, it doesn't seem like a fantasy anymore. In removing this grade from my transcript, my GPA will rise and it will give me a better shot at grad school and other opportunities. Therefore, I would be extremely grateful if my circumstances could be taken into account and my request for a credit standing in LAW 202 be approved. Lastly, I apologize for the late submission as this is a process I was only made aware of very recently.
Sincerely,
Chloe Yamin