Petition Letter
Dear Petition/Appeal Committee,
I am submitting this petition to request the removal of all failed and incomplete courses from my transcript due to severe extenuating circumstances beyond my control, which severely impacted my academic performance. These grades do not reflect my true abilities, dedication, or perseverance but rather a period of overwhelming medical, psychological, financial, and personal hardships that made finishing coursework impossible.
Why I Failed These Courses:
Between 2020 and 2024, I endured severe health challenges, mental health crises, and financial instability, which directly affected my ability to keep up with my studies.
1. Chronic spinal pain (post-spinal fusion), plantar fasciitis, gastritis, concussions, hypertension, asthma, and medication complications left me frequently hospitalized and in debilitating pain, making it impossible to attend classes in person.
2. Severe depression, anxiety, and PTSD, culminating from The War on Ukraine, relationship issues, chronic pain, childhood trauma, family deaths, and lack of familial support which led to a suicide attempt in early 2024, affecting my ability to concentrate, complete assignments, and engage with coursework.
3. Severe financial hardship and housing instability meant working three jobs to survive, leaving me mentally and physically drained.
4.COVID-19 disruptions, academic backlog from missed assessments, and difficulty adapting to online/in-person transitions left me unable to recover from falling behind.
Despite my efforts to seek support, these circumstances became unmanageable, and I was unable to complete my courses through no fault of my own.
My Determination & Commitment to Academic Success:
My education at Queen’s means the world to me. I was accepted into this program while I was a patient at SickKids Toronto recovering from spinal fusion surgery and studying every second I could, and my dream was to graduate with a degree from Queen’s.
After failing these courses, I spent the entire summer of 2024 messaging faculty, finding solutions, and working multiple jobs to pay off my tuition debt. I re-enrolled as an active student in Fall 2024, self-funded my tuition, and successfully completed DEVS 101 with an A while taking a full nursing course load at Loyalist College.
Now, I have rebuilt my life:
- I left a toxic relationship and secured stable housing by myself in Belleville close to College.
- I am in my second semester of nursing school, with high 80s (A grades).
-I completed my final course required for a BA degree from Queen's, acheiving an A in the online course while in full-time nursing school.
- I volunteer at Belleville General Hospital (ER, ICU, Postpartum) to give back to my community.
- I work part-time as a Dietary Aide in Picton and Belleville to support myself independently.
Request for Consideration:
-If these 13 failed courses are removed, my recalculated GPA would be 3.19, allowing me to graduate with my Honours BA from Queen’s. I respectfully request a retroactive late drop of these courses so that my transcript accurately reflects my true academic capabilities.
Additionally, if financial aid is available for graduating students facing hardship, I would be grateful for any support. I have fought through unimaginable challenges, and this degree represents my resilience, strength, and determination. All I have ever wanted was to graduate from Queen’s, and removing these courses from my transcript is my final step to apply to graduate for the class of 2024 in the Spring.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I appreciate the opportunity to present my case and hope for a compassionate decision that will allow me to move forward academically and professionally.
Sincerely,
Anastasiya Stackaruk
I am submitting this petition to request the removal of all failed and incomplete courses from my transcript due to severe extenuating circumstances beyond my control, which severely impacted my academic performance. These grades do not reflect my true abilities, dedication, or perseverance but rather a period of overwhelming medical, psychological, financial, and personal hardships that made finishing coursework impossible.
Why I Failed These Courses:
Between 2020 and 2024, I endured severe health challenges, mental health crises, and financial instability, which directly affected my ability to keep up with my studies.
1. Chronic spinal pain (post-spinal fusion), plantar fasciitis, gastritis, concussions, hypertension, asthma, and medication complications left me frequently hospitalized and in debilitating pain, making it impossible to attend classes in person.
2. Severe depression, anxiety, and PTSD, culminating from The War on Ukraine, relationship issues, chronic pain, childhood trauma, family deaths, and lack of familial support which led to a suicide attempt in early 2024, affecting my ability to concentrate, complete assignments, and engage with coursework.
3. Severe financial hardship and housing instability meant working three jobs to survive, leaving me mentally and physically drained.
4.COVID-19 disruptions, academic backlog from missed assessments, and difficulty adapting to online/in-person transitions left me unable to recover from falling behind.
Despite my efforts to seek support, these circumstances became unmanageable, and I was unable to complete my courses through no fault of my own.
My Determination & Commitment to Academic Success:
My education at Queen’s means the world to me. I was accepted into this program while I was a patient at SickKids Toronto recovering from spinal fusion surgery and studying every second I could, and my dream was to graduate with a degree from Queen’s.
After failing these courses, I spent the entire summer of 2024 messaging faculty, finding solutions, and working multiple jobs to pay off my tuition debt. I re-enrolled as an active student in Fall 2024, self-funded my tuition, and successfully completed DEVS 101 with an A while taking a full nursing course load at Loyalist College.
Now, I have rebuilt my life:
- I left a toxic relationship and secured stable housing by myself in Belleville close to College.
- I am in my second semester of nursing school, with high 80s (A grades).
-I completed my final course required for a BA degree from Queen's, acheiving an A in the online course while in full-time nursing school.
- I volunteer at Belleville General Hospital (ER, ICU, Postpartum) to give back to my community.
- I work part-time as a Dietary Aide in Picton and Belleville to support myself independently.
Request for Consideration:
-If these 13 failed courses are removed, my recalculated GPA would be 3.19, allowing me to graduate with my Honours BA from Queen’s. I respectfully request a retroactive late drop of these courses so that my transcript accurately reflects my true academic capabilities.
Additionally, if financial aid is available for graduating students facing hardship, I would be grateful for any support. I have fought through unimaginable challenges, and this degree represents my resilience, strength, and determination. All I have ever wanted was to graduate from Queen’s, and removing these courses from my transcript is my final step to apply to graduate for the class of 2024 in the Spring.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I appreciate the opportunity to present my case and hope for a compassionate decision that will allow me to move forward academically and professionally.
Sincerely,
Anastasiya Stackaruk