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Nescol Graduations: Despite repeated surgeries, science student always made time to help others

Connar Duncan at the ceremony. Image: Kenny Elrick / DC Thomson.
Connar Duncan at the ceremony. Image: Kenny Elrick / DC Thomson.

A Nescol graduate who made the time to help others while dealing with his own health problems has graduated from Aberdeen’s Music Hall.

Connar Duncan previously worked in the oil and gas industry as a machinist and programmer.

But after repeatedly seeing colleagues in the industry being made redundant, he decided to study the HND Applied Science course.

The 27-year-old said: “It will hopefully give me a stable long term job, so I can relax.”

Education disrupted by surgery

However, his career path was made difficult due to his battles with Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease, which is a genetic condition that causes tumours to grow on various organs.

Mr Duncan queueing to graduate. Image: Kenny Elrick / Dc Thomson.

When Mr Duncan was 18 he had to have a tumour removed from his spine – requiring him to learn to walk again.

He said: “Every year since I’ve needed surgery on organs like my kidneys or somewhere else.

“Every minute or so they’re constantly doing checks on you for these for these tumuors that appear – they could appear anywhere.”

‘Determination’ needed to keep going

The disease meant Mr Duncan had to undergo several operations while he was studying for his exams.

He was unable to attend class for many weeks while the course got more practical, but kept working from the hospital and managed to keep up.

However, he says that despite having “a few bad days”, the key was “having the determination to keep going”.

He added: “It’s always been a part of my life.”

While studying he made time to be supportive of his classmates and regularly helped others with their studies.

When it came to his own work, Mr Duncan received a very high A grade.

He also gave credit to the help and support of his family. And although his mum was not able to make it to the ceremony due to her own health issues, she told him she “had tears in her eyes with pride”.

Now he has been able to progress directly into the third year of a BSc in Applied Biosciences at RGU.

He said: I’m looking forward to learning more, achieving my degree and perhaps using it to go into teaching. I just enjoyed helping others so much.”

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