Meghan McKay

Meghan McKay graduated with an HND in Mechanical Engineering at the recent NESCol Fraserburgh Campus Graduation Ceremony and it was definitely a cause for celebration in her family! 

Meghan (26) from Fraserburgh first started her HND back in 2017 as part of her apprenticeship with international engineering company Score Group.  She attended NESCol’s Fraserburgh Campus on day release and really enjoyed the combination of work and study.  Towards the end of her first year, Meghan found out she was expecting her daughter, Mila, who is now approaching her third birthday.  Meghan took the decision to put her studies on hold during her maternity leave but that was not to be the end of her NESCol story. 

Meghan was back at work when the Covid-19 pandemic emerged and like millions of others was placed on furlough.  It was during this time that Meghan took the decision to continue with her studies to achieve her HND.  Meghan 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. “  

Due to Covid restrictions, Meghan’s return to College was different from when she started the course, with much of the teaching and study taking place online.  By this point Meghan had also returned to work which meant the period from January to June 2021 was the busiest year of her life to date.  

Meghan said, “When I returned to work I realised how important time management would be. From juggling working full time, being at College and still having quality time with Mila, it was challenging at times. 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. “