Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Next spring semester of 2024 in my third year at Queen's I am interested in studying abroad independently at a different university in a different part of the world. I avidly want this opportunity for many reasons. I spent the first 20 years of my life in Ontario, travelling very little as most of my childhood I was tied down to competitive soccer, rowing, or snowboard racing practice when not in school. Up until this point, I have never had the opportunity to visit the world around me and be exposed to new cultures and understandings. My life before university was very focused on sports and extracurriculars, meaning my academic studies were not extremely prioritized. Since being at Queen's, my priorities have shifted, and my schoolwork has become something that holds the most value, time, and significance in my life. I want to find new ways for me to extend my studies further and studying abroad can aid me in this because it will allow me to develop new concepts that can enhance my learning in ways that only completing my degree in Ontario at the same school for all 4 years cannot. This is because my potential peers and academic instructors abroad have diverse perspectives that I may not be exposed to here in Canada as many attitudes, theories, and ideas come from our cultural background and ways of life that are taught and understood through community and tradition.

As a student in the arts faculty taking Film and other social studies relating courses, the syllabuses, course work, and content discussed in the classroom will always naturally change over time and develop further with the world around us as society is constantly evolving. Unlike science or engineering practices, for example, my area of study is not often as reliant on black and white, yes or no, or factual answers. Instead, the courses I am interested in are more dependent on learning different perspectives and encourages students to find their own interpretations of concepts and to develop their understandings of coursework through learning about varying ideas and theories through a wide variety of communications, interactions, and diversity. Specifically, I am interested in studying sociology, global development, and philosophy-related courses on a semester abroad in elective courses because I believe those areas of study can specifically best be transcended through participating in an exchange of contrasting perspectives that I as an individual may not have the opportunity to be a part of by not opening my horizons to new parts of the world. Each country and culture have their own styles of teaching and different points of value they hold in course content that will be naturally different than what is offered to me here at Queen's in Canada. These courses stray from my major of Film but at the same time can be connected back to it and help me complete this major back at Queen's after my semester abroad as they will open my mind to contexts that can be related to what I learn in film. Film studies connect deeply to the discussion of social issues and injustices, both at present and in history, and specifically encourage students to understand how media is presented and understood differently throughout different parts of the world and through different time periods. These courses, while taken in a vastly different geological location with expand my ideas that I can bring back to my studies in film at Queen's in my fourth year of university as I will be able to relate my new learnings abroad to the relevant areas of film studies I learn, which will enrich my understandings.

This past winter of 2023 I unexpectedly was hospitalized for weeks with a life-threatening illness that caused me to take a pause on school and focus on my health. Now that I am recovering and doing well, I am now more than ever eager to make the most of the life I was given. This time showed me to appreciate the opportunities around me and to always look for more ways to enhance the gift of life. What happened to me inspired me to expand my academic studies, and as I was out of school, I developed a much deeper appreciation for learning as I was deprived of it. I realized how much I valued the knowledge and understandings I can obtain by participating in my university education. Throughout my traumatic experience, I had time to reflect on my life and my accomplishments and unlocked a much greater love, respect, and interest for what a Bachelor of Arts can offer me. Being forced to miss out on educational opportunities in the spring semester of 2023, made me eager to bounce back to learning and inspired me to make the most out of my education, which is why I want to do so abroad. I feel that studying abroad allows me to get a much deeper sense of how the world works as I will be exposed to a brand-new way of life. Despite my unfortunate challenges, my illness is not my identity and not something that defines me. I am much more than a patient. I am a learner, an athlete, an employee, a role model, and most importantly- an individual with the drive to succeed, which is why I believe a semester abroad is an experience I can thrive in