Petition Letter
To: Associate Dean (Academic) Stephenson
Faculty of Arts and Science
Queen’s University
May 19th, 2025
Subject: Petition to Drop BCHM 316 (Winter 2025) and Credit Standing for BCHM 315 (Fall 2025)
Dear Associate Dean Stephenson,
I am writing a petition to drop BCHM 316, “Metabolism,” and receive a Credit Standing for BCHM 315 “Proteins and Enzymes,” retroactively, courses that I took during the Winter 2025 term and the Fall 2024 term. I recognize the seriousness of this request, and I deeply appreciate your time and consideration as I outline the extenuating circumstances that resulted in the need to make this request.
Over the past few years, I have undergone a profound personal and academic transformation, working hard to find my path in the face of challenges in my home life, which include significant parental expectations. For most of my undergraduate studies here at Queen’s, I was pursuing pre-med, enrolled in the Life Sciences Specialization stream and taking courses, like this one, as the required components for my degree. With the help of a growing support system, I am starting to gain clarity about my true interests and goals and have come to realize that a legal path aligns more closely with my passions and strengths. While this has brought me great excitement, it has also triggered a difficult transition period as I began to shift away from expectations shaped by long-standing family pressures.
Since the pandemic, my father has experienced ongoing mental health challenges, including significant anger issues and alcohol dependency. This has created a toxic, and at times unsafe, home environment, especially for the women in my family. As a result, I’ve often had to step into a caretaker role for both my mother and sister, who have endured their own emotional hardships. This dynamic influenced my decision to attend Queen’s (which is four hours from home), to move in with my aunt and her family in Toronto last summer, and to remain in Kingston this summer to maintain stability and independence with the support of my aunt and her family. Still, I continue to carry the emotional weight of this situation.
This year, I have been grappling with the weight of my parents’ expectations which are not in line with my dreams for my future. And yet, I felt unable to drop or alter my course selections this year as doing so would have required having an extremely difficult conversation with my father, including explaining that I was no longer pursuing medicine, that the tuition he was paying would be going towards a new set of goals or worse may have been non-refundable if courses were dropped later in the term. I feared this news would escalate tensions at home and cause further instability, not just for me, but for my mother and sister as well. In addition, during the 2025 Winter term, particularly during the final exam period, I was compelled to return home to support my family through a crisis involving my father’s job. This severely disrupted my ability to study and concentrate for my final exams.
I recognize now that I should have prioritized my well-being and future plans by changing my Life Science stream and dropping or changing these courses earlier, but the combination of fear, obligation, and emotional exhaustion left me paralyzed. These courses were my breaking point. While I succeeded in my other classes this year (receiving marks of A+, A+, A, A, A-, B+ (79), and B), I only struggled and unfortunately failed courses associated with the Specialization stream which are unnecessary for a Life Science Major student, particularly BCHM 316 and 316. Further, the results in these courses are outliers that do not reflect my academic abilities or commitment particularly in the context of third year which represents a shift towards my personal goals for the future.
Throughout this academic year and this coming summer, I am working hard towards taking control of my future by formally switching into the Life Sciences Major stream (from the Specialization) and committing to my preparation for law school. I am currently completing a Certificate in Law at Queen’s, studying for the LSAT (which I will write on August 9th), and actively preparing my law school applications to be sent out this November.
Although my family life remains complex, I am working to be in a much stronger position, both emotionally and academically. I am fully committed to my new direction, supported by a strong and growing network of people I trust, and taking concrete steps toward my chosen goals. I am proud of the growth and clarity I’ve achieved this year, despite the challenges I’ve faced. Providing a Credit Standing in BCHM 315 and a late drop standing for BCHM 316 would not only address the reality of my situation at the time, but would allow me to move forward on my new academic path without being hindered by a performance in problematic courses that do not represent my capabilities, my dreams for my future nor my commitment to my studies.
Thank you again for your time and consideration of my petitions.
Sincerely,
Alison Staples
20333961
Life Sciences Specialization
Faculty of Arts and Science
Queen’s University
May 19th, 2025
Subject: Petition to Drop BCHM 316 (Winter 2025) and Credit Standing for BCHM 315 (Fall 2025)
Dear Associate Dean Stephenson,
I am writing a petition to drop BCHM 316, “Metabolism,” and receive a Credit Standing for BCHM 315 “Proteins and Enzymes,” retroactively, courses that I took during the Winter 2025 term and the Fall 2024 term. I recognize the seriousness of this request, and I deeply appreciate your time and consideration as I outline the extenuating circumstances that resulted in the need to make this request.
Over the past few years, I have undergone a profound personal and academic transformation, working hard to find my path in the face of challenges in my home life, which include significant parental expectations. For most of my undergraduate studies here at Queen’s, I was pursuing pre-med, enrolled in the Life Sciences Specialization stream and taking courses, like this one, as the required components for my degree. With the help of a growing support system, I am starting to gain clarity about my true interests and goals and have come to realize that a legal path aligns more closely with my passions and strengths. While this has brought me great excitement, it has also triggered a difficult transition period as I began to shift away from expectations shaped by long-standing family pressures.
Since the pandemic, my father has experienced ongoing mental health challenges, including significant anger issues and alcohol dependency. This has created a toxic, and at times unsafe, home environment, especially for the women in my family. As a result, I’ve often had to step into a caretaker role for both my mother and sister, who have endured their own emotional hardships. This dynamic influenced my decision to attend Queen’s (which is four hours from home), to move in with my aunt and her family in Toronto last summer, and to remain in Kingston this summer to maintain stability and independence with the support of my aunt and her family. Still, I continue to carry the emotional weight of this situation.
This year, I have been grappling with the weight of my parents’ expectations which are not in line with my dreams for my future. And yet, I felt unable to drop or alter my course selections this year as doing so would have required having an extremely difficult conversation with my father, including explaining that I was no longer pursuing medicine, that the tuition he was paying would be going towards a new set of goals or worse may have been non-refundable if courses were dropped later in the term. I feared this news would escalate tensions at home and cause further instability, not just for me, but for my mother and sister as well. In addition, during the 2025 Winter term, particularly during the final exam period, I was compelled to return home to support my family through a crisis involving my father’s job. This severely disrupted my ability to study and concentrate for my final exams.
I recognize now that I should have prioritized my well-being and future plans by changing my Life Science stream and dropping or changing these courses earlier, but the combination of fear, obligation, and emotional exhaustion left me paralyzed. These courses were my breaking point. While I succeeded in my other classes this year (receiving marks of A+, A+, A, A, A-, B+ (79), and B), I only struggled and unfortunately failed courses associated with the Specialization stream which are unnecessary for a Life Science Major student, particularly BCHM 316 and 316. Further, the results in these courses are outliers that do not reflect my academic abilities or commitment particularly in the context of third year which represents a shift towards my personal goals for the future.
Throughout this academic year and this coming summer, I am working hard towards taking control of my future by formally switching into the Life Sciences Major stream (from the Specialization) and committing to my preparation for law school. I am currently completing a Certificate in Law at Queen’s, studying for the LSAT (which I will write on August 9th), and actively preparing my law school applications to be sent out this November.
Although my family life remains complex, I am working to be in a much stronger position, both emotionally and academically. I am fully committed to my new direction, supported by a strong and growing network of people I trust, and taking concrete steps toward my chosen goals. I am proud of the growth and clarity I’ve achieved this year, despite the challenges I’ve faced. Providing a Credit Standing in BCHM 315 and a late drop standing for BCHM 316 would not only address the reality of my situation at the time, but would allow me to move forward on my new academic path without being hindered by a performance in problematic courses that do not represent my capabilities, my dreams for my future nor my commitment to my studies.
Thank you again for your time and consideration of my petitions.
Sincerely,
Alison Staples
20333961
Life Sciences Specialization