Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter:
Jessica Ferguson
Student #: 20269295
Courses: HLTH 230/ PSYC 236/ PSYC 221
Petition Requesting To Waive The Petition Deadline:

Good afternoon, I hope this email finds you well.

When I came to university, I never anticipated seeing an “F” letter grade on my transcript; as someone who entered university with A's, this was a curveball, but so was losing a close friend to murder in July, 2021, only weeks before entering my first year of university, and another one 1.5 years later to an overdose, all while navigating ADHD unmedicated. Going into my first year of university at Queens, I had arrived just one month after my close friend was murdered. This was a battle for me, mentally, emotionally and academically; it was an experience I was unsure how to navigate, being eighteen years old. In my first year, you'll notice that my grades weren't awful, but they weren't great either. This is due to not accepting the reality, being surrounded by new faces, scared to express to anyone where I was at mentally, I suffered in silence. In my first year, I reached out to my PSYC TA and the department of Psychology, requesting support and accommodation because it had begun affecting my work and focus. I was met with little empathy or regard, and felt let down by the facility as a whole. In my Second year, I was affected academically the most, and this is reflected in my grade history. I was not only feeling unheard by faculty, but I was now living on my own and out of residence, trying to navigate my experience, education and adulthood all at once. I finally got to a point where I knew I needed an intervention and help. I started going to therapy on July 27, 2022, during summer break. This, however, was temporary as my therapist didn’t offer online appointments and she was in my hometown (London, Ontario), and ultimately wasn’t a great fit on top of that. Soon after I started back at school again, a close friend passed away from an overdose, and I was again overwhelmed with the grief of losing a second person in my close friend group. I eventually sought out more help in November of 2024 and have been working with a therapist, weekly and now monthly. I was also treated for my ADHD diagnosis during my time at Queens. I started receiving academic accommodations through Queens in February of 2022 for my ADHD; however, I began trying different medications for months until finally, in November of 2024, I started taking a medication that worked for me, didn't make me feel sick, depressed or anxious in my everyday life. I believe that my extenuating circumstances prevented me from performing academically, and do not accurately represent the student I am. These experiences knocked me down at a very young age, and I have continued to persevere and become the academic student that I knew I had in me. My most recent semester is an excellent example of my progress and the effectiveness of therapy and finding an ADHD medication that has worked for me. I plan to continue to work hard mentally and academically to keep progressing upwards. In addition to the internal and external elements that influenced my academic experience, I was uninformed of my options for appealing grades or the timelines involved with these options. School was the one consistent thing for me; I refused to drop a class throughout my duration at Queens, as I would rather show up to class, try my hardest, and still not succeed, than to give up.

My hope is that you will accept my request to have the petition deadline waived based on the extenuating circumstances mentioned above.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jessica Ferguson