First class delivery for former postman

A former postman who changed career paths after being diagnosed with a sleep disorder has graduated from Edge Hill University with a first class honours degree.

Ian Meharg, from Knowsley, Liverpool has gained top marks in his BSc (Hons) Computing degree despite battling with two different forms of sleep apnoea - obstructive and central. The latter is an incurable condition which stops Ian breathing whilst he sleeps causing him to wake up regularly throughout the night.

The 41-year-old had worked as a postman for 19 years but in 2005 Ian was diagnosed with this condition causing chronic fatigue and sleepiness, which meant that Ian was no longer able to work and lost his job.

He explained: "I'd always had problems breathing through my nose but when my ex wife at the time told me I'd stopped breathing in my sleep a couple of times I was diagnosed with the two forms of sleep apnoea. I couldn't get my head around it and when they told me that you are more likely to die whilst sleeping it made me even worse and the constant worry left me drained. As a result I lost my job and my marriage broke down.

"I was sitting there with my new girlfriend one day and was reading a local paper when she spotted an advert for Edge Hill University's Fastrack course. I'd left school before sitting  O-Level exams and didn't think I was capable of undertaking a degree. My girlfriend and her family all had degrees and I felt inadequate, but she told me I could do it and filled in the forms. At my interview I was so nervous but was offered a place on the Fastrack Computing course."

Ian has always liked working with computers and his friends would always tell him he should teach the subject, so after successfully completing the course Ian embarked on a BSc (Hons) in Computing and, in his own words, "grabbed university with both hands".

He said: "I've loved every minute at Edge Hill, it is a fantastic place and just like one big community and the people are so friendly. There were six of us on the Fastrack course and we have all kept in touch throughout university and offered each other support, which has been great. Now I just want to give something back and tell people that if I can do it, you can too."

From his desire to share the benefits of education with others, Ian developed an ambition to teach. As well as acting as a course rep, he enrolled on the Outlook Diversity Mentoring Programme and completed the Teaching Development Agency's Student Associates Scheme (SAS) in order to gain employability skills and a clearer career focus. During summer last year he voluntarily assisted with the delivery of Fastrack sessions to Computing students.

In doing so he has been a living inspiration to those students in whose place he so recently sat and was given one of the first Reverend Jesse Jackson Scholarship's last year in recognition of overcoming his personal circumstances and not letting it affect his ability to achieve and inspire and lead others.

Ian is now planning to start a PGCE and his ultimate goal is to become a teacher.

He said: "At the time a part of me wished I'd never gone the doctors and found out I had a sleeping disorder but I'm glad I did because it completely changed my life. I have a fantastic new wife, new career plans and I couldn't be happier."