An ALVA pensioner has been nominated for a lifelong learning award after returning to study at Forth Valley College, Alloa, last year.

Mary Herriot-Dunlop, 72, swapped her retirement for a course in art and design at the town college last summer.

She decided to pursue the qualification after she and her husband returned to the area after spending several years living in Spain.

However, as Mary was unfamiliar with computer technology when she first took up her studies last year, she had to attend additional classes to get up to speed.

She had to pick up all the basics almost from scratch in order to gain the necessary tools to complete her studies.

But Mary passed the NC a few months ago and has now enrolled at the Stirling campus for a two-year HND course.

And tutors were so impressed with her efforts that they nominated her the lifelong learning award at this year’s SQA Star Awards.

Mary described the news of being forward as ‘an honour’ and hopes to take her studies as far as possible.

She said: “I’m thrilled to be nominated for the award, but I know I haven’t won anything yet.

“I’m also pleased the tutors liked my work and I hear they have kept a hold of some of them to show to next year’s students — I was really happy with that.

“It was such a good experience for me, although I did struggle with computers at the beginning.

“In fact when I first came back to study it was like landing on the moon.

“I took extra classes and really worked hard to get up to speed. I’m by no means an expert and I still struggle but I know the basics now which allow me to learn.

“I’m really a learner by nature — if you tell me anything, I’ll probably be interested in it and want to know more.

“I have taken up the HND at Stirling now. I want to meet the standard set for me this year if I can and then if I am good enough then I would like to go further.” Mary and staff from the college will attend this year’s awards ceremony at Glasgow Clyde College’s Anniesland Campus this Friday, 7 November.