Protect Students Who Battle With Mental Illness - Financial Aid Forgiveness- COVID Crisis.
The Issue
As a student (at Los Angeles City College), who has been diagnosed with a mood disorder, it has been a huge challenge for me to maintain a higher education. Before the pandemic crisis that we are experiencing currently, it was already a challenge to keep up with my peers. Now that we are living through a health crisis, it has become even harder to be functional and to stabilize my mind long enough to stay motivated. There are millions of other students just like me, who also battle with mental illness, and college has been very tough for them as well, however, now that we are experiencing COVID-19, things are harder because we are forced to transition to online courses, which is not an ideal choice for a person suffering from mental illness.
As of now, the suicide rates have skyrocketed, and there are people who have never had any mental health concerns prior to the pandemic, who are suffering and battling with their mental health as well. With that being said, it should be common knowledge that those of us who have already been suffering before this pandemic are too, losing grip on our reality around us.
I want to propose a forgiveness program for students like myself to not be penalized this year for dropping any courses from their class schedule if it proceeds the established deadlines. We deserve to be protected too. It takes A LOT for us to be able to continue taking courses. Society is set up for us to be "normal" so that is what we try to do.. which works to our detriment because we try to fit in by being functional, even when we know we are about to break down. I am just asking for us to have a grace period to take a break from being overwhelmed by our academics, without our financial aid benefits being revoked. We deserve an education and we should not be punished for being different and for needing a break, especially now with everything that is going on in our world.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for your support. You are not alone. Hopefully, this can move us in the right direction.
Peace & Love,
--
Lyric Jackson
The Issue
As a student (at Los Angeles City College), who has been diagnosed with a mood disorder, it has been a huge challenge for me to maintain a higher education. Before the pandemic crisis that we are experiencing currently, it was already a challenge to keep up with my peers. Now that we are living through a health crisis, it has become even harder to be functional and to stabilize my mind long enough to stay motivated. There are millions of other students just like me, who also battle with mental illness, and college has been very tough for them as well, however, now that we are experiencing COVID-19, things are harder because we are forced to transition to online courses, which is not an ideal choice for a person suffering from mental illness.
As of now, the suicide rates have skyrocketed, and there are people who have never had any mental health concerns prior to the pandemic, who are suffering and battling with their mental health as well. With that being said, it should be common knowledge that those of us who have already been suffering before this pandemic are too, losing grip on our reality around us.
I want to propose a forgiveness program for students like myself to not be penalized this year for dropping any courses from their class schedule if it proceeds the established deadlines. We deserve to be protected too. It takes A LOT for us to be able to continue taking courses. Society is set up for us to be "normal" so that is what we try to do.. which works to our detriment because we try to fit in by being functional, even when we know we are about to break down. I am just asking for us to have a grace period to take a break from being overwhelmed by our academics, without our financial aid benefits being revoked. We deserve an education and we should not be punished for being different and for needing a break, especially now with everything that is going on in our world.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for your support. You are not alone. Hopefully, this can move us in the right direction.
Peace & Love,
--
Lyric Jackson
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on November 13, 2020