Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

My name is Douglas Mayhew and upon starting college in 2017 I have always been a self sufficient student. I received extremely minimal help from family financially and wore a heavy load on my shoulders to make ends meet while in school. For over a decade, I had been a student athlete at every establishment I attended. This unfortunately came to an abrupt end at the end of June, 2021 due to extreme family trauma and circumstances. I am writing this letter to give perspective on my situation, and to hopefully explain thoroughly why I finished these classes with a 0 and why it has taken me so long to address this and make this appeal.


Long story short, communication between my parents and I was completely severed in June of 2021. There was an extreme falling out, and I can provide the written document by Susannah Ireland, a social worker for students through Queen's to back up these claims. There was a lot of mental manipulation happening and for my own mental health I had to cut that relationship off. I was left with the ultimatum of continuing my studies and trying to work full time to pay for my studies, rent, expenses or dig myself into a financial pit just to continue being a student athlete on the Queen's Football Team and be forced to stress endlessly about finances. I had to choose option 1, because no matter my situation I felt as if I was resilient, hardened and capable of managing challenging times on my own, and as it turned out I was not but I did not concede.

My grandfather, during this period was falling extremely ill with Parkinson's Disease, and it truly compounded my situation for the worse and I took the blows of losing the sport I had loved and cherished so dearly for over a decade, my relationship with my parents and my grandfathers illness. Unironically, this was the hardest period I have ever experienced in my life, and as someone who felt as if they were immune to depression and anxiety, received it and had to battle those demons myself in the worst way.

Why I have taken too long to submit this appeal, is because my grandfathers Parkinson's has gotten the best of him and in February of 2022, the family without advising me had said that he was given 3-6 months left to live. He had also been registered for the assisted suicide program and has finally gotten his wish. He has one week of life left and the funeral will be the following week.

I write this with tremendous regret, sadness and as a way for me to close out this nightmare of a period of my life.

I would like for the courses I finished with zero's, in the fall of 2022 to be dropped and the fees for said courses removed from my account. Throughout my hardships over this period, this situation has been at the back of my mind every single day and I have never been one to ask for help, or mercy. However, as everyone knows, no one is bulletproof, no one is immune to the way life moves and life does not take any prisoners. This period in my life has taught me so many lessons, and how to and how to not cope with personal events, trauma and overall problems.

I am more than happy to provide any documents that are needed to complete this process, and I genuinely appreciate whoever is taking care of my file.

I have the documentation about my situation with my mother/family from the social worker, but I was never officially diagnosed with Anxiety or Depression because of how stubborn I was. I had to support myself and couldn't justify taking time off to get help.

If needed, I am glad to go to a psychiatrist, therapist or whatever it takes for adequate documentation as I know that they will accommodate upon hearing the events that unfolded.

Again, truly, thank you.

Douglas Mayhew
20dm4
20dm4@queensu.ca
doug.mayhew@outlook.com
819-431-9511