Petition Letter
Dear Dr. Jenn Stephenson,
I am writing to you to request my return to studies after the requirement to withdraw for three years has now lapsed. The hold was first placed on May 24th, 2016. I have also included both my explanation of the circumstances that led to my withdrawal in 2016 and what has been done in the time since to help me recognize my goal of finishing this degree program without these past circumstances preventing me from doing so.
To start, I would like to do my best to outline the extenuating circumstances that I was dealing with at the time and how I¿¿ve since overcome these issues. From November 2013 until December 2017, I was dealing with periodic episodes of acute mental illness, which affected not only my academic success, but also how I went about things on a day-to-day basis. Due to the cyclical nature of these episodes, it became difficult to motivate myself to do anything; to care for myself on a personal level that was healthy and sustainable. Since I wasn¿¿t taking proper care of myself I would find it much more difficult to take care of other aspects of my life, such as my academic studies. It became one long question of ¿¿what¿¿s the point¿ I would have moments where I¿¿d get out of these vicious, negative thought patterns, but when I did, I¿¿d find myself more in the hole in regards to what needed to be done and before I knew it the cycle would continue. It wasn¿¿t until the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw for a minimum of three years in May of 2016 that I began to really reflect on what got me into that position in the first place. In the summer of 2016 I began seeking on-campus counselling to gain more insight on why I continued to find myself stuck in these negative thought loops and how I could begin to implement methods to combat them. This began my four year investigation into the mind and a newfound passion and fascination around it. I became engrossed in learning more about the study of the human mind and why it functions the way it does, how it works on a neuronal level, and how psychological teachings can be implemented to better a person¿¿s life and even save them from harm¿¿s way. My on-campus counselling concluded in the Fall semester of 2016, but the information and methods I was taught to help combat the issues I was dealing with helped foster a desire to learn more through various books of related interest, additional counselling, online lectures, seminars, etc. The more I¿¿ve learned about my own mental health and how to maintain it, the more I¿¿ve become interested in wanting to help others do the same. This brings me to how I plan to implement what I¿¿ve learned and experienced to succeed at finishing my degree program.
In April 2019 I lost my younger sister to an accidental drug overdose. She was a 22 year old artist studying at OCAD University. She was smart, talented, and was overall excited about life, but when she moved to Toronto she developed a bad problem. As much as this moment in my life saddens me, it also taught me very valuable lessons that I believe will be instrumental in my success at Queen¿¿s University: There aren¿¿t bad people, just bad choices. The stigmas and perceptions people hold over certain mental health issues, brain disorders, and addictions affects a person¿¿s ability to talk openly about things they may be dealing with. Such was the case with my sister and that¿¿s something I don¿¿t want anyone to have to deal with, if I can help it. Life is short and I¿¿m ready to take on my responsibilities and do what I can to make life better. Both for myself and for others. I wish I could have done so sooner, maybe it would have helped. While passion and a personal stake in the matter are great intrinsic motivators, I do realize that a realistic future plan is also required for my academic success. Therefore, if I am granted permission to return to my studies I will be continuing with counselling, either on-campus or through a counsellor that has been recommended to me by a family friend. This will help make sure that I am maintaining my mental health during my studies and not following the same pattern of behaviour I did before. Additionally, I have a strong bond and open communication with my family, especially since this tragic incident, and I believe that will also be a crucial factor in my success at Queen¿¿s. I¿¿ve matured since I was last at Queen¿¿s and with that my relationships with close friends and family have all become stronger and more open. Lastly, to ensure that I have a successful return to studies, I plan to limit myself to 3 courses per semester and re-do certain failed or low mark courses. This will allow me to focus on repairing my GPA so that I can realistically get out of Academic Probation and be eligible to change into Psychology come the end of Winter term 2021. With these plans implemented, my support structure in place, and a continued effort on my part keep myself healthy, both mentally and physically, I know that I will have success in the completion of my degree program. I have a more detailed explanation of my plans in my Academic Plan.
Regards,
Alex Strang
I am writing to you to request my return to studies after the requirement to withdraw for three years has now lapsed. The hold was first placed on May 24th, 2016. I have also included both my explanation of the circumstances that led to my withdrawal in 2016 and what has been done in the time since to help me recognize my goal of finishing this degree program without these past circumstances preventing me from doing so.
To start, I would like to do my best to outline the extenuating circumstances that I was dealing with at the time and how I¿¿ve since overcome these issues. From November 2013 until December 2017, I was dealing with periodic episodes of acute mental illness, which affected not only my academic success, but also how I went about things on a day-to-day basis. Due to the cyclical nature of these episodes, it became difficult to motivate myself to do anything; to care for myself on a personal level that was healthy and sustainable. Since I wasn¿¿t taking proper care of myself I would find it much more difficult to take care of other aspects of my life, such as my academic studies. It became one long question of ¿¿what¿¿s the point¿ I would have moments where I¿¿d get out of these vicious, negative thought patterns, but when I did, I¿¿d find myself more in the hole in regards to what needed to be done and before I knew it the cycle would continue. It wasn¿¿t until the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw for a minimum of three years in May of 2016 that I began to really reflect on what got me into that position in the first place. In the summer of 2016 I began seeking on-campus counselling to gain more insight on why I continued to find myself stuck in these negative thought loops and how I could begin to implement methods to combat them. This began my four year investigation into the mind and a newfound passion and fascination around it. I became engrossed in learning more about the study of the human mind and why it functions the way it does, how it works on a neuronal level, and how psychological teachings can be implemented to better a person¿¿s life and even save them from harm¿¿s way. My on-campus counselling concluded in the Fall semester of 2016, but the information and methods I was taught to help combat the issues I was dealing with helped foster a desire to learn more through various books of related interest, additional counselling, online lectures, seminars, etc. The more I¿¿ve learned about my own mental health and how to maintain it, the more I¿¿ve become interested in wanting to help others do the same. This brings me to how I plan to implement what I¿¿ve learned and experienced to succeed at finishing my degree program.
In April 2019 I lost my younger sister to an accidental drug overdose. She was a 22 year old artist studying at OCAD University. She was smart, talented, and was overall excited about life, but when she moved to Toronto she developed a bad problem. As much as this moment in my life saddens me, it also taught me very valuable lessons that I believe will be instrumental in my success at Queen¿¿s University: There aren¿¿t bad people, just bad choices. The stigmas and perceptions people hold over certain mental health issues, brain disorders, and addictions affects a person¿¿s ability to talk openly about things they may be dealing with. Such was the case with my sister and that¿¿s something I don¿¿t want anyone to have to deal with, if I can help it. Life is short and I¿¿m ready to take on my responsibilities and do what I can to make life better. Both for myself and for others. I wish I could have done so sooner, maybe it would have helped. While passion and a personal stake in the matter are great intrinsic motivators, I do realize that a realistic future plan is also required for my academic success. Therefore, if I am granted permission to return to my studies I will be continuing with counselling, either on-campus or through a counsellor that has been recommended to me by a family friend. This will help make sure that I am maintaining my mental health during my studies and not following the same pattern of behaviour I did before. Additionally, I have a strong bond and open communication with my family, especially since this tragic incident, and I believe that will also be a crucial factor in my success at Queen¿¿s. I¿¿ve matured since I was last at Queen¿¿s and with that my relationships with close friends and family have all become stronger and more open. Lastly, to ensure that I have a successful return to studies, I plan to limit myself to 3 courses per semester and re-do certain failed or low mark courses. This will allow me to focus on repairing my GPA so that I can realistically get out of Academic Probation and be eligible to change into Psychology come the end of Winter term 2021. With these plans implemented, my support structure in place, and a continued effort on my part keep myself healthy, both mentally and physically, I know that I will have success in the completion of my degree program. I have a more detailed explanation of my plans in my Academic Plan.
Regards,
Alex Strang