A MAUCHLINE woman has successfully graduated from college despite being pregnant during her final year exams and dealing with the pressures coronavirus put on her education.

Elisha Rutherford was among 172 students at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) who graduated virtually this week after their graduation ceremony was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Elisha, 23, who graduated from SRUC’s Ayr campus with a 2:1 BA (Hons) Rural Business Management degree, was scheduled to give birth on the day of her Advanced Financial Management and Taxation exam.

However the restrictions introduced during the pandemic meant she was able to upload her essay exam substitutes early and prepare for the arrival of her son Harlow.

Elisha suffered from severe sickness throughout her pregnancy as well as sciatica, pelvic girdle pain and anaemia.

She was also looking after her daughter Harper, four, and working 30 hours a week between two jobs.

Elisha said: “The baby was fine but I was literally crumbling around him.

“This made attending classes virtually impossible a lot of the time, as I couldn’t sit for more than five minutes without being in severe pain or being sick.

“However the constant support I had from my lecturers meant it was possible for me to complete my studies successfully.

“Despite the odds being stacked against me, I managed to successfully complete my degree, and after a super quick labour of one-and-a-half hours, my

son was born a week late weighing a massive 10lbs 15oz.”

Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, told Elisha: “It is testament to your hard work that you have managed to complete your studies despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are very proud of the way you have adapted and I’m certain that the skills we have all learned during this crisis will serve us well in the future.

“Indeed, learning to think about uncertainty and adapt to it is one of the most important skills you can acquire.”

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