An Aberdeenshire mum is celebrating her achievements after coming top of the class with a degree in mechanical engineering.
Meghan McKay from Fraserburgh first started her HND at North East Scotland College (Nescol) back in 2017 as part of her apprenticeship with international engineering company Score Group.
After receiving the news she was expecting her daughter Mila towards the end of her first year, the 24-year-old decided to put her studies on hold and devote herself to motherhood.
However, this was not the end of her journey at Nescol.
Inspired by her now three-year-old daughter, Ms McKay picked her notebooks back up to achieve her HND when she was put on furlough at the start of the pandemic.
She said: “Having Mila was life-changing for me and she inspired me to return to college to finish my studies before I complete my six year apprenticeship later this year.”
‘The busiest year of my life’
With the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic, Ms McKay’s return to college was different from when she first embarked on this journey four years ago.
With much of the teaching and studying taking place online, she had to adapt and find her way through the twists and turns of “the busiest year of her life”.
“From juggling working full-time, being at college and still having quality time with Mila, it was challenging at times,” she added.
“Despite how hectic it was it made the experience even more worthwhile for me and the whole process was highly rewarding.
“It took a lot of hard work but with the support of my family, employer and my college lecturers I completed my graded unit with an A this year and successfully completed my HND.”
Ms McKay, who is graduating today, will be watching the virtual ceremony with her husband, daughter and extended family and looks forward to raising a glass to her accomplishments.