A SINGLE mum who has struggled with dyslexia all her life has just completed university with a first-class degree.

Diana Prosser graduated from Queen Margaret University's (QMU's) BA (Hons) International Hospitality and Tourism Management course earlier this month.

The 44-year-old Tullibody resident says she can't believe what she has achieved, but already has plans to continue her education even further.

Speaking about her accomplishment, she told the Advertiser: "It's amazing. I didn't think I would actually do it.

"It's been a bit of a rollercoaster: trying to juggle work and the little one and studying.

"I'd be staying up most of the night and maybe sleeping in the afternoon."

For Diana, her results are even more astonishing because she has gone through most of her life believing her dyslexia would hold her back.

Having worked in the hospitality sector since she was 13, she had always wanted to build on her practical skills by going into higher education.

But it wasn't until a few years ago that Diana decided to bite the bullet by singing up for an HND hospitality management course in college.

She said: "I didn't even think I would have completed college."

However, after receiving A grades for her work, Diana decided to push even further and apply for university.

She started at QMU as a direct entrant, and was pleased to find that the university had support in place to assist her with her studies.

And instead of holding her back, she found that she could actually use her dyslexia to improve her work.

She said: "I look at things completely differently, which [my tutors] say is a really good thing because I'm quite inventive and creative.

"I didn't realise there's so much positive with having dyslexia, and I have basically used that to my advantage."

That ability to find the positive in what could be a negative also applied to Diana's position as a single mum who was also in employment.

While it was not always easy to find the time for everything, Diana said that looking after her nine-year-old child actually helped her with her studies too.

She said: "When you've got kids it's the best time to go and study, because while you're at home with them you can build up your qualifications."

Now, after years of hard work, Diana has finished university with a first-class degree under her belt.

But instead of leaving her education there, she plans to take her learning to the next level.

She said: "One of my tutors wanted me to do a PhD, and I need a scholarship so I'm going to do the masters in research – which is a good way to prepare me.

"I just want to go on to the next step now."