Petition Letter
To Whom This May Concern,
In Winter 2015 I took:
ARTH 250 Art Society, and Culture
PHAR 100 Introductory Pharmacology
PSYC 251 Development Psychology
PSYC 271 Brain and Behaviour I
CWRI 295 Creative Writing
I took these courses to boost my GPA, while I waited for a Genders 400 course to become available via distance studies, or to choose one at Athabasca. Due to Athabasca courses only giving a pass or a fail mark, whilst being very expensive, I was not so eager to take one of their GNDS 400 courses as I wanted to improve my GPA.
The Winter 2015 semester started out well, but within a week or two my partner was diagnosed with Hodgkinson's, and my grandmother would be undergoing chemotherapy and according to doctors she would only have a few months to live. My brother and myself alternated nights at my grandmother¿¿s home during this time, as well as driving her to the hospital and any other appointments. I kept it together for the first few weeks, but eventually the pressure got to me and depression and anxiety took over. I began to cope in unhealthy ways that I never imagined of myself. In 2016, I was still struggling and coping (poorly) with loss. In 2016, I was raped by an acquaintance while intoxicated. I chose not to pursue legal action as I felt that I would most likely be slut-shamed more than anything else, as well as blamed for being drunk. My family preferred to pretend it didn¿¿t happen, though my mother did blame me for having been intoxicated. Without a support network I quickly spiraled into a dark place that still scares me to think about. For the next few years, I had no regard for my life.
In 2017, I realized that I may have contracted HPV from my rapist, who in his act had not worn contraception. After the rape I knew that something like this could be possible. I was furious after being safe and responsible my entire life. It felt like a punishment, and I know that it is one faced by survivors of rape every day, sometimes with much worse consequences. I can now happily report that after 3 years of specialist appointments at St. Joseph¿¿s Hospital I am HPV free.
By 2018, I could see and feel that I wouldn¿¿t survive mentally or physically if I continued down that path. I had been in therapy for a few months at this point. I couldn¿¿t keep a job, not because I wasn¿¿t capable of the work, but because I couldn¿¿t be reliable. After I was raped, I became a recluse. I would find jobs easily but keeping them was a challenge. My anxiety was at an all-time high and at work I would work hard to mask that. I would privately struggle with flashbacks and other baggage and trauma that comes with sexual assault. Most people didn¿¿t know what had happened to me and the ones who did know wanted to pretend they didn¿¿t. Somedays leaving my bedroom seemed impossible. It took intense therapy and relearning my worth, while trying to begin believing in it as well.
The past few months have been some of the happiest and healthiest of my life. I do experience embarrassment at having not graduated years ago, but I have come out on the other side and I am proud of this. I now cope and own my reactions in healthy ways. I am going to become a mother this Fall 2020. I have an action plan and I am more ready and determined to graduate now than ever before.
Thank you for taking the time to read my appeal. It was difficult to write, but I¿¿m happy to have finally done it. It is for the above reasons that I am appealing to waive the deadline to drop my Winter 2015 classes. I am including a letter from my doctor, Dr. Cheung. If needed my Psychiatrist can provide additional documentation supporting the time from 2017 to present.
Thank you and Best Regards,
Kaitlyn Sewell
In Winter 2015 I took:
ARTH 250 Art Society, and Culture
PHAR 100 Introductory Pharmacology
PSYC 251 Development Psychology
PSYC 271 Brain and Behaviour I
CWRI 295 Creative Writing
I took these courses to boost my GPA, while I waited for a Genders 400 course to become available via distance studies, or to choose one at Athabasca. Due to Athabasca courses only giving a pass or a fail mark, whilst being very expensive, I was not so eager to take one of their GNDS 400 courses as I wanted to improve my GPA.
The Winter 2015 semester started out well, but within a week or two my partner was diagnosed with Hodgkinson's, and my grandmother would be undergoing chemotherapy and according to doctors she would only have a few months to live. My brother and myself alternated nights at my grandmother¿¿s home during this time, as well as driving her to the hospital and any other appointments. I kept it together for the first few weeks, but eventually the pressure got to me and depression and anxiety took over. I began to cope in unhealthy ways that I never imagined of myself. In 2016, I was still struggling and coping (poorly) with loss. In 2016, I was raped by an acquaintance while intoxicated. I chose not to pursue legal action as I felt that I would most likely be slut-shamed more than anything else, as well as blamed for being drunk. My family preferred to pretend it didn¿¿t happen, though my mother did blame me for having been intoxicated. Without a support network I quickly spiraled into a dark place that still scares me to think about. For the next few years, I had no regard for my life.
In 2017, I realized that I may have contracted HPV from my rapist, who in his act had not worn contraception. After the rape I knew that something like this could be possible. I was furious after being safe and responsible my entire life. It felt like a punishment, and I know that it is one faced by survivors of rape every day, sometimes with much worse consequences. I can now happily report that after 3 years of specialist appointments at St. Joseph¿¿s Hospital I am HPV free.
By 2018, I could see and feel that I wouldn¿¿t survive mentally or physically if I continued down that path. I had been in therapy for a few months at this point. I couldn¿¿t keep a job, not because I wasn¿¿t capable of the work, but because I couldn¿¿t be reliable. After I was raped, I became a recluse. I would find jobs easily but keeping them was a challenge. My anxiety was at an all-time high and at work I would work hard to mask that. I would privately struggle with flashbacks and other baggage and trauma that comes with sexual assault. Most people didn¿¿t know what had happened to me and the ones who did know wanted to pretend they didn¿¿t. Somedays leaving my bedroom seemed impossible. It took intense therapy and relearning my worth, while trying to begin believing in it as well.
The past few months have been some of the happiest and healthiest of my life. I do experience embarrassment at having not graduated years ago, but I have come out on the other side and I am proud of this. I now cope and own my reactions in healthy ways. I am going to become a mother this Fall 2020. I have an action plan and I am more ready and determined to graduate now than ever before.
Thank you for taking the time to read my appeal. It was difficult to write, but I¿¿m happy to have finally done it. It is for the above reasons that I am appealing to waive the deadline to drop my Winter 2015 classes. I am including a letter from my doctor, Dr. Cheung. If needed my Psychiatrist can provide additional documentation supporting the time from 2017 to present.
Thank you and Best Regards,
Kaitlyn Sewell