Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

New Information: Dear Associate Dean of Studies,

I am appealing for credit standing in BIOL205, BIOL243, BIOL201 (Fall, 2017), and BIOL202 and BIOL206 (Winter, 2018). I am also appealing to drop PHGY210 (Fall 2017/Winter 2018).

There are several extenuating circumstances I have faced over the past year, which have led me to write this appeal. My mom was diagnosed with an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer on October 24th, 2017, and since then my life has been completely turned upside down. This diagnosis has not only severely disabled my mental health, it has also had extreme impacts on my academic performance. My mom is a single mother, and she heavily relies on me in our small family for support and guidance. I immediately knew that I had to be strong for her, and for my brother and sister. For the next few weeks, it was next to impossible for me to focus on anything other than taking care of my family. I went home every weekend and missed many classes. I have always struggled with my own mental health, however her sickness had increased my anxiety, brought on bouts of panic attacks, as well as heightened my social anxiety due to isolation from those around me. I did not think that dropping courses or taking a semester off was the right choice for me, as I was in denial that her condition would last longer than a few weeks. At the time, I felt as if it were selfish to address my own mental health when my mom was suffering from so much worse. She is usually the person I go to for everything, and I found it extremely difficult to keep all my thoughts inside as to not worry her or burden the family even more. I was having regular anxiety attacks to the point of vomiting daily. On November 10th, 2017, I decided to address my anxiety with my family doctor, and he got me to participate in Bounce Back, an over the phone program aimed to teach coping mechanisms to those who struggle from mental illness. On November 22nd I had a lab exam in BIOL201, the day before my mom¿¿s surgery, and I found it extremely hard to focus on studying when I was so worried. On November 23rd, I missed my BIOL243 lab to take her to her first surgery, and I took her to every appointment and emergency room visits that soon followed. I was the only other person home taking care of her, and as she could not walk and was in an immense amount of pain, this was a very difficult task. I was taking on so much responsibility, and had my whole family relying on me. Focusing on studying and submitting assignments seemed like my last priority. November 27th, 2017, I had a PHGY210 lab assignment due, and it was at a very difficult time because I was cooking, cleaning and taking care of my mom and family, and spending most days at home in Whitby. It was also at a time that my family was waiting for the pathology results to find out if the cancer had spread or not. It was nearing the end of the semester, and while most students were in the library studying for finals, I was driving home at least twice a week, in a constant state of worry, as well as trying to balance my own deteriorating mental health. At this point in the semester, I was so behind in all my courses, and had no time to catch up. As expected, I did very poorly on my Fall 2017 exams, and finished with a D+ in BIOL205, BIOL243, and BIOL201, and failed CHEM281. When the semester ended, I was relieved that I could focus on my family and my mental health without the added stress of school and deadlines. Unfortunately, on December 19, 2017, I got the news that my cousin had committed suicide. This was a devastating time for my family, and it turned an already horrible situation into a nightmare. The news right before Christmas crushed the little bit of hope I had for my situation and brought out even more mental health issues in not only myself, but the rest of my family as well. Now I was not only taking care of my mom and siblings, it also extended to my aunts and cousins, and increased the amount of suffering I was enduring myself. Coming back to school for second semester was extremely difficult for me, as my plans of resetting and dealing with my situation had not gone as planned over the break. I came back feeling very anxious being away from my family at such a hard time, and I continued to go home most weekends as my mom was dealing with treatments and surgeries. During the previous semester, I held a lot of my own pain and suffering in. It was at this time, around January of 2018, that I had time to let everything sink in. Due to this, I experienced extreme anxiety and depression, and my academics severely suffered. On February 28th, 2018 I had a BIOL202 midterm, which I received a 55 on. At this point in the semester, I was trying my best to prepare for midterms, as well as work towards repairing my mental health, and care for my family. I then had a midterm in BIOL206 on April 3rd, a lab exam on April 4th in BIOL202, a final assignment in MICRO270 on April 6th, as well as a final term report in PHGY210 on April 6th, 2018. At this time, I was so overwhelmed with having these deadlines so close together on top of all the other stress I was struggling with in my life, that I broke down. My mental health was suffering so severely that it led me to miss my lab exam on April 4th in BIOL202. I reached out to a few of my professors, which was difficult for me with my social anxiety, and thankfully, my BIOL202 professor, Dr.Vanderbeld was extremely accommodating. Unfortunately, all the other assignments due during this time suffered immensely. I was at my breaking point, and these assignments and exams at the same time caused me to completely shut down. After this, I was so behind in course content for final exams, especially in PHGY210 as it is a full year course, that I ended up failing PHGY210, and receiving a C- in BIOL202, and BIOL206. I did very well in HLTH237, because it was a course that required very little time commitment and was only composed of two small assignments and an easy exam. I also ended up with a poor mark of C+ in MICR270, however was advised not to appeal it as it was not below a C grade.

The past year was the hardest one I¿¿ve ever experienced. However, I am relieved to say that my situation has improved drastically. I feel that the circumstances which previously impacted my academics, no longer apply to me, and I am prepared to do everything possible to improve as a student. Thankfully, my mom has been cleared for cancer, so I will not be going home every weekend or constantly worrying about her health. This will greatly benefit the amount of time I will be able to spend on my school work. I started the semester off by discussing my situation with an academic advisor and planning my steps for success. I am taking a reduced course load, planning to take summer courses, taking part in this appeal process, as well as seeing my family doctor regularly to help with my anxiety. My doctor filled out a Queens Accessibility Form should I need accommodations in courses as well. In order to raise my GPA, I have decided to retake CHEM281 this summer, and focus on keeping my marks up. So far this semester I have been doing well and proactively asking for help with my work before it becomes an issue. I have been working in study groups to not only keep me on track with my work, but also to help with my social anxiety, and feel more involved with my peers. I have found yoga and meditation very helpful in the grieving process and have signed up for Queens Yoga Club this semester. These circumstances have taught me to not take life for granted, and to embrace the amazing opportunity I have to attend this school. These horrible experiences have given me a new appreciation for life and have sparked even more motivation for me to succeed at Queens, as well as life in general.

Thank you so much for your consideration,

Isabella Escobar (10194964)