Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Dr. Johanne Bénard
Associate Dean (Studies),

I am appealing to waive the deadline in order to drop DRAM 205 (Fall 2017), DRAM 251 (Fall, 2017), ENIN 301 (Fall, 2017), and MUTH 340 (Fall, 2017). I have attached an off-campus physician¿¿s note, outlining the extenuating circumstances that prevented me from appealing before the deadline, as well as achieving academic success at Queen¿¿s University in the fall of 2017. (Please respect that the nature of my circumstances are very personal.)
I was diagnosed with chronic depression at a young age, and have since taken medication to prevent depressive episodes. I stopped taking anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications in August (2017), just before the start of the fall semester, which caused a flare-up to occur. During this time I was not functioning properly (as outlined in my physicians note), and barely left my house. I was not properly caring for myself (not showering regularly, not eating, and not leaving my bed for days at a time). I quickly fell behind in my courses. For these reasons I also did not complete an appeal before the deadline. The depressive episode occurred during September 2017 until May of 2018 (roughly), and I did not get back on track with my medication until June of 2018.
It has been a difficult thing to write down these words, because I do not feel they represent the person I am in any way. Up until my first depressive episode in University, I had good grades and I was always outgoing. I had been acting since I was 12 years old and I was confident. Improv used to be my favourite pastime, and yet I found myself afraid to interact with other people, and eventually afraid to leave my house. I used to get a rush of adrenaline before going on stage, and that energy would propel me through an entire performance¿ but suddenly, the thought of being in front of any group of people made my heart pound. It felt like I was choking on air. I felt so embarrassed that I could cry and I didn¿¿t have the language to talk about it. I didn¿¿t understand what was happening to me. I got scared, I sunk, and I stayed there for a long time. It took some time before coming to terms with my mental illness, and even more time before I learned to not equate those symptoms with the person that I am.
Throughout this hardship, I have learned to heal and to be more compassionate with myself, and I now feel stronger than ever before. I now know how to ask for help when I need it ¿¿ and I no longer feel shame in asking.
Since getting back on track with my medications in June, I have felt a strong recovery. I have taken many steps to better care for myself, including a medical plan with my family physician and regular appointments with a counselor. I have restarted taking the anti-anxiety medication that I had stopped in the summer of 2017, and I have worked hard on developing new strategies to combat my chronic depression and anxiety (physical activities have been a great outlet). I started doing improv in Toronto this month ¿¿ which is a huge step back in the right direction (being a stage & screen student who has always loved acting¿¿before anxiety got in the way). I feel much more myself and my anxiety has been completely manageable. I am really looking forward to networking and collaborating with other creatives in my field (something that terrified me a few months ago).
My physician and my counselor both agree that taking some courses online in the fall would be a good first step before going back to school full-time, while continuing to take medication and attend regular appointments. My journey with depression will likely be a life-long learning process ¿¿ and that¿¿s okay. This experience has reminded me to check-in with myself more regularly, to listen to my body, and to notice signs that may mean I need to adjust my medication or plan. I refuse to let this health issue impede me from achieving success I am confident that I will be able to thrive once again in an academic environment. Please consider my appeal and know that I am committed to achieving my absolute potential. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jayna Wilson

(Student : 10156384)