Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,
My name is Takunda Govere and I am currently a second year student in the Kinesiology and Health Studies program. My academic progress has not been ideal due to a tragedy my family experienced over the summer of 2021. In August within two weeks, both my uncle and grandmother passed away due to COVID-19. This was quite sudden and shocking, I had little time to grieve and process their deaths as I was starting university that September. To make matters worse, due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, we were not able to attend their funerals in Zimbabwe (where they passed). My uncle and grandmother were both very significant people in my life. In 2006 when my mother (who is a single mom) moved to Canada (to pursue a master??s degree), she left me in the custody of my uncle and grandmother. My uncle, who was a father figure to me, paid for my elementary education until I was able to join my mother in 2009. My grandmother was like a second mother to me; she raised me until I was 6 years old. Between 2009 and 2019 I visited my uncle and grandmother several times and continued to maintain that bond. All of this is to say, their passing took a severe toll on my mental health due to how significant they were in my life. When I started first year, I thought I was fine and could just push through without dealing with this monumental loss. It was clear, however, that I was struggling with grief, anxiety, and depression on my own. This did not fare well in an entirely new setting at university, away from home for the first time. Trying to navigate everything has been a very stressful experience, and this past semester was no exception. Despite being at such a low point, I had hope that I could overcome these struggles myself and excel in my courses; however, it is apparent that I was not in a place to do so.
After being in denial for so long, I decided to make a change at the start of second year and reach out for help. I reached out to a counselor through student wellness, and I have been working with them to finally process my trauma. In addition, I have also been in regular contact with the kinesiology and health studies academic advisor to try and get back on track. The process has been slow and difficult, but also rewarding. I am nowhere near finished this journey yet, but I am making progress. Just recently, I opened up to my family about my challenges and their support has been quite beneficial. Another factor that is going to aid in my healing journey is that in July my mother and I are going to Zimbabwe to finally attend the tomb stone unveilings of my uncle and grandmother. This will give me some much-needed closure and is an important step to my recovery journey.
My mental health was deeply and adversely impacted by these events, and ultimately hindered my ability to succeed academically. Now that I am in the process of healing, I am motivated to fulfill my potential. For this reason, I would like to petition for a late drop for KNPE 255 and ANAT 315. These are courses I took during the 2022-2023 fall semester, during which I was working through these deeply traumatic events in my life. I have been working hard towards improving my mental health and I am now in a place where I know I can be successful academically. I have always been a straight A student and I have a love for school and learning, and I know with the steps that I am taking now I will be able to reach my full academic potential.

Sincerely,
Takunda Govere