Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: My name is Emma Rizk and I am in my first year at Queens University. I am writing to petition my requirement to withdraw for one year.

I have a passion for school, as I was on the honour roll for the entirety of my high school career, and was doing well for the first two months of university. However, in Oct. 2022, my mother was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. This caused me to move out of residence to take care of her, as my father was in Toronto and my brother was in Ottawa. As such, I became her primary caregiver, bringing her to doctors appointments and providing her with support during this horrible time. Due to this, I had to push my school to the side, but even so, I tried to complete the learning requirements for each of my courses. Unfortunately, due to the stress that this ongoing situation with my mothers health had on my mental well-being, I was unable to pass my first year.

I have provided a letter from my doctor that details my mothers diagnosis, and I was previously gifted two weeks of academic consideration in March 2023 from the university.

I hope to continue my university career such that I will redo my first year in its entirety in hopes of achieving a better academic performance. I have a passion and deep respect for the university itself, and would love to be able to continue my academic career starting Fall 2023.

Thank you for considering my petition, given my unfortunate circumstances. I appreciate any help that you may provide.

Thank you again,

Emma Rizk